Policy Planning White Paper: 

Governance Under Ansar Allah

Statement of Purpose

Ansar Allah, more commonly referred to as the Houthis, is an Islamist political and armed group that began its rebellion against the government in the early 2000s and since then, has acquired sizeable territory, taking control of the capital city of Sanaa in 2014.  Ansar Allah has operated as a pseudo-government for the majority of Yemenis and has had relative success in maintaining its territorial control. This white paper provides policy recommendations for the continuous observation of Ansar Allah’s policies and practices.

Executive Summary 

Ansar Allah is a key political and military actor in Yemen, and controls areas containing the majority of Yemen’s population. It has succeeded in creating a regional economy, containing violence, and remaking government institutions in its own image, albeit at a high cost to civic life. Below are five recommendations for policymakers to keep in mind while continuing to monitor and evaluate Ansar Allah’s governance practices:

● A major contributor to Ansar Allah’s support is its ability to control economic inflation within its territories and therefore, better protect its citizens from extreme poverty. The Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG), popularly known by Yemenis as the “Legitimacy” government, has not been able to control the economic impacts of the war. By supporting the ROYG to control inflation, policymakers may impact Yemeni acceptance of the government in areas outside Ansar Allah’s control.

● Young people constitute 70% of Yemen’s population, and are targeted by Houthi educational policies. Providing young people in Yemen with access to sustainable economic development and unbiased educational resources should be a high priority for those looking to halt the spread of the Houthi movement (and the proliferation of other armed groups).

● Policymakers should take steps to counter the targeted messages distributed through Ansar Allah’s “cultural courses.” In PILPG’s experience, social media is an effective tool for spreading peacebuilding-related messages throughout Yemen.

● Security is a key concern for Yemeni civilians. The data shows that while individuals may not prefer Ansar Allah governance, they appreciate living in its territory for the general security. Concrete steps towards engaging with the Presidential Leadership Council and furthering a negotiated ceasefire is likely welcome and will lessen the appeal of Ansar Allah to Yemeni civilians.

● The data shows deep concern with corruption, arbitrary detention, abuses of power, and Ansar Allah’s treatment of women and girls. Policymakers should consider these social issues when supporting civil society during, as well as after, a peace negotiation.

About PILPG’s Policy Planning Initiative

PILPG’s Policy Planning Initiative supports the development of long term, strategic policy planning that is crucial to international accountability, global conflict resolution, and the establishment of international peace.  The Initiative provides timely and accurate policy planning analysis and work product on pressing and future policy conundrums by leveraging PILPG’s deep network of talent within the international legal and policy communities and experience with its pro bono clients globally. PILPG Policy Planning focuses on advising policymakers, policy shapers, and engaged stakeholders on pressing issues within the arenas of international law, war crimes prosecution, and conflict resolution efforts. This includes identifying and addressing gaps within existing policies, anticipating key conundrums and questions that will riddle future policy decisions, applying lessons learned from comparative state practice, and proactively producing and sharing work product to inform such policies and avoid crisis decision making.