Barran Press
Last Thursday, June 27th, 2024, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution renewing its demand for the Houthi group, classified as a terrorist organization, to immediately cease all attacks against vessels and commercial ships in the Red Sea.
The resolution, numbered 2739, was drafted by the United States and Japan and garnered support from 12 members. Algeria, China, and Russia abstained from voting.
In his statement commenting on the resolution, Algeria's permanent representative to the UN, Amar Benjamaa, explained that his country's vote on the current draft resolution was in line with its previous abstention. He emphasized the "urgent need to address the root causes of the current tension in the Red Sea and the region as a whole," according to a statement published on the UN's official website.
On January 10th, 2024, UN Security Council resolution 2722, drafted by the United States and Japan, was adopted, calling on the Houthis to stop attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea. The resolution passed with 11 votes in favor and 4 abstentions, namely Algeria, Russia, China, and Mozambique.
Two days after the new resolution, which reiterated Algeria's position, the Houthi group, internationally classified as a terrorist organization, announced that its foreign minister, Hisham Sharaf, had sent a written message to the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Ahmed Attaf.
According to the Yemeni news agency Saba (the Houthi-controlled version), Sharaf's message expressed the group's appreciation for Algeria's "principled stance rejecting the military aggression and comprehensive siege imposed on Yemen," referring to Algeria's abstention from voting in favor of the UN Security Council resolution demanding the group cease its attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.
Attempt to find a recognition
In response to Algeria's stance and the Houthi group's initiative to establish communication with them, military expert and analyst Dr. Ali Al-Zahab believes that "Algeria's abstention from voting on the American resolution in the Security Council stems from its conviction that the actions of the Houthis in the Red Sea are closely related to the brutal aggression perpetrated by Israeli aggression against the Palestinians in occupied Palestine."
According to Al-Zahab, in his conversation with "Barran Press," this does not mean that Algeria fully accepts or approves of the Houthis as a legitimate authority to be dealt with. He points out that Algeria has a political and diplomatic relationship with Yemen, or rather the Yemeni government (legitimate and internationally recognized) as the legitimate representative of Yemen. There is a Yemeni ambassador to Algeria and vice versa.
Regarding the message of appreciation sent by the Houthis to the Algerian Foreign Minister, Al-Zahab clarifies that it is an attempt to exploit the situation in the Security Council and build upon it to extract some form of recognition.
When asked about the extent to which they will achieve their goal, Al-Zahab says, "I don't believe they will achieve anything in this regard," explaining that "Algeria has intertwined interests with countries like Russia and China, and its position was based on this foundation."
Al-Zahab says that he previously warned the current Yemeni Prime Minister, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, when he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, about the necessity of engaging with Algeria, as it is a non-permanent member of the Security Council, and strengthening relations with it at all levels to become a positive alternative to the United Arab Emirates in the Security Council, in order to support the Yemeni cause.
He added that "the government, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in particular, did not pay attention to this aspect, despite the fact that it is in the interest of the Yemeni government to engage with any government that serves Yemen's interests."
Regarding interests and calculations, Al-Zahab says that "Algeria has stronger calculations towards Russia and China than the Yemeni government, firstly because Algeria's position is closely linked to the Palestinian issue throughout the existence of the Algerian Republic."
He added that the "negative positions" expressed by the Arabs towards the Palestinian cause have made Algeria "not inclined to move in this direction, or at least not to stand with America in condemning the Houthi attacks on ships that they claim support Israel or Western countries that stand with it in its aggression against Gaza."
Exploiting the Issue to Break Isolation
Yemeni researcher and head of the Ab'ad Center for Studies, Abdul Salam Mohammed, believes that the Houthis' message to Algeria comes "due to the latter's alliance with Iran, of which the Houthis are considered one of its arms in the region."
Regarding the goals of the Houthis, researcher Abdul Salam told "Barran Press" that the Houthi group "wants to communicate with Algeria to break out of their isolation." He added that they are currently "exploiting the Palestinian issue to internationalize their crimes and wars, shifting their focus from targeting Yemenis to targeting regional and international security."
He further stated that the Houthis also aim to negotiate with the region and the international community "at a higher level, aiming to be rewarded with Yemen in exchange for de-escalation in the Red Sea and elsewhere."
In his opinion, the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are "an attempt to build a new strategy to target countries in the Horn of Africa, the Gulf, and all neighboring countries."
Earlier, researcher Abdul Salam Mohammed criticized Security Council Resolution 2379 in a previous post on his "X" platform account, stating that it "does not condemn the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea." He criticized what he called the "cold language" included in the resolution, urging the Houthis to stop their actions and countries to refrain from voting on the militia's actions.
He stated that the language of the resolution "not only encourages the Houthis to escalate but also makes them feel like a great power opposing the United States and Britain." He expressed his regret that "Moscow and Beijing have neglected their relationship with the Yemeni government and Gulf countries by abstaining from voting on a weak resolution that calls for restraint and does not criminalize Houthi attacks or allow for military action."
Since November 2023, the Houthi group has been launching missile and drone attacks on commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea, leading to increased maritime insurance costs and causing many shipping companies to prefer the much longer route around the southern tip of the African continent.
In December 2023, the United States, Israel's main ally, formed a multinational alliance to protect maritime navigation from attacks by the group classified as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, the U.S. forces intermittently carry out strikes on military targets belonging to the Houthis.