Barran Press
Ali Al-imrani, former Yemeni Minister of Information and former ambassador to Jordan, has praised the resilience of Marib and its people, calling their sacrifices "worthy of respect and honor."
In an exclusive interview with Barran Press, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Marib's "matareh" (popular armed camps), Al-imrani highlighted the importance of Marib's steadfastness, stating that "it is not easy to ignore the details of the positive situation in Marib, nor its resilience." He expressed hope that Marib "will continue to be a launchpad for the liberation of every inch of Yemen, alongside its sister provinces."
The "matarih" were established on September 18, 2014, by tribes in Marib's Nakhla and Saheel regions, as well as in the western and southern outskirts of the governorate. They were formed to counter the escalating Houthi offensive aimed at seizing control of the governorate by force.
This move, a traditional tribal practice for confronting threats, came after two months of Houthi mobilization and attacks on tribal members in border areas with the governorates of Jawf and Sana'a. These attacks followed the Houthis' capture of the city of Amran in July 2014 and their advance towards the capital Sana'a, culminating in its fall on September 21, 2014.
Marking the 10th anniversary of the "matareh," Al-imrani, a member of the Yemeni Parliament from 1993 to 2003, emphasized that Marib "withstood the period before Sana'a fell and the fighting stopped with the start of the battle to conquer Sana'a on September 18, 2014." He believes this demonstrates that the Houthis "were not the invincible force they appeared to be."
He added that "the resistance against the Houthis by many tribes before the conquest of Sana'a indicates that if the Houthis had been devoid of state power, its resources, and its weapons, as was the case later, many tribes would have stopped them in their tracks, as happened in Marib and elsewhere."
The former ambassador concluded by paying tribute to "Marib, its people, and its residents from all parts of Yemen. I salute the honorable and free leaders from every family and tribe," hoping that "Marib will continue with its big heart and open arms towards all of Yemen and Yemenis, and remain a haven for the free. It is beautiful that the people of Marib will boast of this throughout history."
the dialogue :
How would you describe the situation embodied by the tribes of Marib in the face of the Houthi advance, when the country was experiencing a complete collapse at the level of cities, official and partisan institutions, tribal and societal components?
Firstly, I salute Marib, its people, and its residents from all corners of Yemen. I salute the honorable leaders, such as Sultan al-Arada and Mfarah Bahaibah, and the many other freedom fighters from every family and tribe, who are countless. May God heal the wounded and injured, and take care of the families of the martyrs and the disabled. I pray for the blessed martyrs, the truly heroic figures, such as Abed al-Rab al-Shaddadi, Nasser al-Dhaibani, and Abd al-Ghani Sha'lan, and the thousands of martyrs, including the many known and immortal heroes and the many unknown righteous and beloved heroes.
Despite the sacrifices, wounds, and pain, it is perhaps fortunate that Marib has become a refuge for the displaced due to this historical catastrophe. Because it is Marib, there is still hope that it will be a starting point for the liberation of every inch of Yemen, alongside its other sisters.
If intentions were pure, agendas were abandoned, and things continued as they began, or as they seemed to us at the beginning, perhaps history would have recorded that Marib had liberated Sana'a. Along with Marib, in the procession of liberation, would have been Al-Bayda, Aden, Hadhramaut, Taiz, Ibb, Amran, Tihama, Raymah, and all of Yemen.
No one wants the Houthi project. Even those who fight in their ranks are, for the most part, coerced. Many are compelled by necessity, except for the ideologues, who are a small percentage. If the ranks of legitimacy were disciplined and agendas appeared sound, they would all abandon the Houthis, move towards legitimacy, and join it.
Before the invasion of Sana'a, many tribes stood against the Houthis and repelled them in Al-Jawf and Arhab, for example. Despite the fall of Amran, which occurred due to multiple forms of negligence and collusion, Marib stood firm in the period before the fall of Sana'a. The fighting stopped with the beginning of the battle to invade Sana'a on September 18, 2014. This indicates that the Houthis were not the invincible force they were portrayed as. They were still the same when they invaded Sana'a, as Jamal Benomar confirmed when he said that the Houthis were a small force and that the foolish politicians were the reason for their entry into Sana'a. Benomar was absolutely right about that.
The resistance to the Houthis by many tribes before the invasion of Sana'a indicates that if the Houthis had been devoid of the power of the state, its resources, and its weapons, contrary to what happened later, many tribes would have stopped them in their tracks, as happened in Marib and elsewhere. The state and the leadership were negligent in defending the capital Sana'a, Amran, and the areas before and after. They appeared to be either spectators or complicit, or even participating in the Houthi invasions, as happened in Al-Bayda with flimsy and foolish justifications. The alliance between Saleh and the Houthis also had a significant impact on the involvement of others in the invasions or their lack of resistance.
Just as Saleh later realized his fatal mistake in allying with the Houthis, the leadership realized its historical error in neglecting the defense of Sana'a, especially since they could have done so easily and effortlessly, at the beginning of the subsequent Houthi advance on Marib in 2015. Therefore, they supported Marib's steadfastness due to the presence of oil and gas wealth there. The Saudis and Emiratis provided significant support at the beginning, and almost all of Marib was liberated. However, things changed significantly afterward, perhaps due to agendas! The Houthi militias remained where they were and as they were, but they became stronger and advanced towards Marib in a way we know. The separatist militias, who always stop at the previous dividing line, remained and grew alongside them. The immense destruction and the heavy sacrifices that resulted from the war remained.
The steadfastness of Marib and its people from Yemen, and their sacrifices in all circumstances, at all times, and in all battles, deserve appreciation and respect. This does not diminish the sacrifices of the sons of Yemen in all wars, locations, fronts, and regions against the Houthi militias of darkness and extremism.
We are talking about the beloved Marib, but what about Aden, which President Hadi declared as the temporary capital? It was supposed to be the main launching point for the liberation of Sana'a and all of Yemen. But Hadi himself was later prevented from entering it, and his government was subjected to more than one coup there. His army was bombed and killed there. Parliament was prevented from entering it, except for a single session in April 2022, to give legitimacy, even if it was formal, to the Council of Eight!
The declared goal of the coalition was to restore legitimacy, save the Yemeni people from the Houthi militias, liberate its capital Sana'a, and preserve the unity, independence, and territorial integrity of Yemen! But where is all that now? Where is the Arab coalition now?
As for the legitimacy of the Eight, most of whom deserve personal affection and sympathy, none of them dare to talk about the one great Yemen, its unity, independence, or territorial integrity! Neither the Prime Minister nor any of its members do that!
Do I seem angry? Perhaps. But what has been happening to our country, our people, and our homeland for 10 years would make stones and trees and all living things angry. Any citizen on earth who sees what is happening to his country, what is happening to Yemen, would inevitably be angry. They would be angrier than we are.
- How did Marib prevent the complete collapse of the state and maintain its presence, symbolism, and serve as a starting point for state restoration?
Things have reached a point where we know, it's not easy to ignore the details of the positive situation in Marib, nor its resilience... But we haven't forgotten that we were close to Sana'a before... years before the recent attack on Marib... Where were we and where was the coalition when that painful setback occurred? And what were the reasons? I mentioned this in an article at the time; on March 4, 2020, titled "Ten Reasons for the Fall of Al-Hazm and Before Al-Hazm," published on many websites! And you remember the issue of Hodeidah, where we were and where everything went, and we know the reasons!
- How do you interpret the features of state culture in the literature and political statements issued by the tribes of Marib in the last quarter of 2014?
You may be referring to the demonization of the tribe that we have witnessed many times in the past, and in Yemen, there has been a lot of talk about the duality of the tribe and the state. As children of tribes, we understand the constructive values that tribes possess, such as chivalry, generosity, and the rejection of injustice. Note that tribes in the Arabian Peninsula have established states in the last hundred years, enjoying strong state traditions and systems, remarkable discipline, and significant cultural development. The Yemeni tribe is no exception...
We, the children of tribes, have been striving for education and civilization since the time of the Imam, and I witnessed this myself from a young age... There is not enough space to talk about the civilization that the Yemenis built before, who were originally tribes. In our time, the problem often lies with those who rule Sana'a. If they possess determination, justice, a clear vision, and productive work, the people and regions will follow. If they deviate from the right path, everything will be paralyzed.
Before the catastrophe in 2014, the opposite happened. Instead of civilizing the countryside, the city was ruralized. This is contrary to what happened in neighboring Saudi Arabia, for example, since the time of King Abdulaziz... where nomadic Bedouins were gathered in settlements called "Hajar," and the social and human development that occurred in Saudi Arabia is enormous. Similarly, in Jordan, despite limited resources, the children of tribes hold the highest academic degrees and manage the state in every field. We can also talk about the model of Oman, a sisterly and close neighbor.
- A Final Word
I urge continuous attention to the wounded, disabled, and especially the families of the martyrs, permanently... We have been hearing about negligence and shortcomings in this regard, and this is nothing new in Yemen! We remember this from the 1960s! And I ask God to close this file soon, I mean the file of the martyrs... Yemen has been bleeding for over sixty years...
I also hope that Marib will continue with its big heart and open mind towards all of Yemen and the Yemenis and that it will remain a refuge for the free. How beautiful it would be for the children of Marib to boast about this throughout time.