Barran Press
A group of peace activists known as the "White Flag Bearers" reached the Al-Jubah district in southern Marib province on Tuesday, June 4th, 2024. This follows their successful passage through Houthi checkpoints in the Mahliya district, south of Marib.
The group, pushing to implement the "Al-Arada" initiative to open roads, faced a six-day delay at Houthi checkpoints in Qaniya before finally being allowed to proceed.
A tribal source told "Barran Press" that the group arrived at the Abd Al-Ghani station in the Wasat area of the Al-Jubah district. They are currently overseeing the removal of roadblocks, mines, explosive devices, trenches, and earthen barriers placed by the Houthis along the Marib-Al-Bayda road.
The "Peace Initiative" was launched in response to the Houthis' rejection of the road-opening initiative announced by the Marib Governor and member of the Presidential Leadership Council, Lieutenant General Sultan Al-Arada, on February 22nd.
"Barran Press" obtained footage showing the moment the "White Flag Bearers" arrived in Al-Jubah and forced the Houthis to remove the roadblocks that had been in place since their takeover of the district in October 2021.
The Houthis, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, announced the opening of the Marib-Al-Bayda-Sana'a road on Tuesday, citing the completion of "military and security procedures." This comes after four months of the unilateral initiative by Al-Arada.
The Houthis' response follows widespread public pressure and demands to open the roads. A community initiative from Al-Bayda aimed at traveling through the road reached Qaniya, where Houthi elements stopped them and requested a six-day delay.
On May 10th, the Houthis had initially announced the opening of the same road but have since prevented travelers from using it. The local authorities in Marib expressed surprise at the Houthis' delay in responding to the "road opening" initiative since February.
A statement from a responsible source in the Marib local authority confirmed that all roads from Marib's side have been open since February 22nd.
On February 22nd, Al-Arada announced the unilateral road opening connecting Marib and Sana'a via "Farada Nahm," urging the Houthis to reciprocate and separate the issue of roads from political motivations.
Al-Arada emphasized that there is no harm in allowing citizens to travel through the roads. He expressed the political and military leadership's willingness to open other roads, including Marib-Sarwah-Sana'a and Marib-Al-Bayda-Sana'a, unilaterally, hoping for a positive response from the Houthis.
Al-Arada's initiative received widespread official and public support, but the Houthis evaded responsibility by creating side conditions and avoiding the initiative. They instead announced the opening of secondary roads in Taiz province, which they have besieged for nine years.