La guerre de Sa‘da : des singularités yéménites à l'agenda international

Abstract

The Sa’dah War : From Yemenite Peculiarities to the International Agenda Yemen today finds itself confronted with multiple fronts, the significance of which is often misunderstood. Although the terrorist threat linked to al-Qaida has monopolized attention, the Sa’dah war which has shaken the country’s north since 2004 undeniably deserves to be better understood. Its duration and violence as well as the growing involvement of international actors make this conflict a significant source of instability at the local and regional levels. The complexity of the conflict has significantly increased over the course of six phases of combat, multiplying the potential levels of understanding. As a result, the interpretation that sees the conflict as a “classic” confrontation between the government of President Ali Abdallah Saleh and a Shiite rebellion led by the al-Houthi clan appears to be inadequate. Given the degree to which Yemen sometimes seems to be marked by the specificities of its history, society and political system, the Sa’dah conflict is no doubt for many incomprehensible. The roots and issues at stake in this war should thus be put into context by taking its singularities into consideration as well as by underscoring the extent to which this eruption of violence is itself symptomatic of transformations in the international system and the operation of political regimes at the level of the Arab world.