Barran Press | Interview - Mohammed Al-Salehi
As the bloody and destructive war in Yemen continues with no solution in sight, former Yemeni President Ali Nasser Mohammed found himself unable to remain a passive observer. He felt compelled to address the complex and intertwined crisis.
"Driven by the interests of Yemen and its people," he proposed an initiative to resolve the ongoing crisis in Yemen. He presented it to "more than 200 prominent Yemeni figures from various factions," and reported receiving "wide acceptance and significant support."
Despite recent developments in the Arab region, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon, which prompted him to "pause briefly," the former Yemeni president remains "fully committed" to the initiative aimed at ending the war and achieving peace in Yemen and the region.
In this interview with "Barran Press," Ali Nasser Mohammed discusses the details of the initiative, the complex situation in Yemen, and the realities on the ground that he says "force us all to rethink solutions."
Ali Nasser Mohammed asserts that the solution in Yemen "will only come through genuine dialogue that rebuilds trust among Yemenis and prioritizes the nation's interests above all narrow calculations." He believes that "the solution lies in establishing a federal state," and the key is "agreeing on a formula that achieves the supreme national interest."
In the interview, the former president talks about the Houthi group, the government, Yemeni parties, neighboring countries, the economic crisis, his visits to Aden and Sana'a, and his aspiration to return permanently to the homeland "when conditions are suitable."
He says, "These conflicts and wars, which have lasted for more than 50 years in the south and the north, and between the north and the south before and after unification, have left a wound in the body of national and Yemeni unity. It is time for us to rise above our wounds, overcome the effects of these conflicts, and look forward to a better and more beautiful future for our country and our people."
Interview Transcript:
Welcome, Mr. President. Let's start with your recent initiative for peace in Yemen. What are the main features of this initiative, and what has halted this activity?
Before answering your question, I welcome you and this interview, which is an extension of previous meetings with you and "Barran Press." We take pride in Marib's history and civilization, mentioned in the Quran in Surah Saba, verse 15: "There was for [the tribe of] Saba' in their dwelling place a sign: two [fields of] gardens on the right and the left. [They were told], 'Eat from the provisions of your Lord and be grateful to Him. A good land [have you], and a forgiving Lord.'"
Marib is considered one of the oldest civilizations in Yemen, flourishing with the construction of dams and irrigation channels, including the great Marib Dam, indicating that the Sabaean state was economically and militarily strong. The irrigation channels extended to the Kingdom of Hadhramaut, with palm and grape plantations along their edges. It is said that caravans traveled under forests that the sun could not penetrate from Hadhramaut to Marib during the reign of Queen Bilqis, the first queen in Arab history.
We take pride in the history and heritage of this region, which extends deep into history up to the present day.
Returning to your question:
Our efforts have not ceased at all; we continue to work to bring different perspectives closer together. Recently, we presented our project to more than 200 prominent Yemeni figures from various factions and received wide acceptance and significant support for the initiative because the people are tired of war and seek peace, stability, and prosperity.
However, recent developments in the Arab region, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon, prompted us to pause briefly to ensure that our steps are well-considered and aligned with the regional and international scene.
Nevertheless, we remain fully committed to our mission and continue to advance our project, which aims to end the war, achieve peace in Yemen and the region, and unite Yemenis under one federal government and one army.
You called for comprehensive dialogue among Yemenis to restore the state. Does this mean that the National Dialogue Conference was not genuine and based on sound foundations?
As you know, the National Dialogue Conference was held in Sana'a for a full year with the participation of all parties under the supervision of the UN Envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, who made significant efforts with all sincere parties to ensure the conference's success. Everyone blessed the outcomes of the conference, but some did not want the conference to succeed for their personal interests, seeing the continuation of the crisis and conflict as a source of their benefits, at the expense of the people's security, stability, and sovereignty.
Today, the situation is much more complicated, and the realities on the ground force us all to rethink solutions through a conference that includes all parties in an honest Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue that excludes no one and is based on the supreme national interest and the country's sovereignty. The solution will only come through genuine dialogue that rebuilds trust among Yemenis and prioritizes the nation's interests above all narrow calculations.
Your call for restoring the state includes having one president, one government, and one army. Do you believe the Houthis, the Southern Transitional Council, and others can lay down their arms and respond to this call?
We have emphasized multiple times that the solution lies in establishing a federal state. We are open to all options agreed upon by Yemenis, whether it is a federal state with two regions, as decided by the Cairo Conference, six regions, as decided by the National Dialogue Conference in Sana'a, or even regions at the governorate level. The important thing is to agree on a formula that achieves the supreme national interest.
We affirm that the solution lies in building a federal state with one president, a unified national army, and the restoration of state institutions to operate efficiently and serve all citizens without discrimination.
Regarding your question about Ansar Allah and the Southern Transitional Council, we are not against them. We support their participation in governance, but not their monopolization of power in the North or the South.
In your recent speeches, you said, "We do not want to interfere in the affairs of our neighbors, and we want them not to interfere in our affairs." Can peace in Yemen be achieved without the support of neighboring countries, and do you see their current interventions as hindering the end of the war and the establishment of peace?
We cannot deny the importance of the role of neighboring countries in supporting efforts to establish peace in Yemen, provided that this role is positive and helps Yemenis achieve internal national consensus. We affirm that regional countries can positively influence the course of war, dialogue, and peace if they agree on a common vision that supports a political solution.
Your recent movements have sparked much controversy, with some claiming you have not moved beyond the environment and conditions you were in as president, particularly regarding your relations with Iran and its proxies in the region. How do you explain this?
Our loyalty is to the homeland first and foremost, and our movements always aim to achieve Yemen's interests and stability. During my presidency of the Democratic Republic of Yemen, we were pioneers in opening new horizons for dialogue and ending conflicts.
During that period, there was genuine openness in relations with the regime in Sana'a, where we stopped wars and conflicts, resumed unification activities through mutual visits between Sana'a and Aden, and achieved significant milestones, most notably drafting the constitution of the unified state as a historic step towards Yemeni unity.
At the same time, we strengthened our relations with regional countries, foremost among them Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, and finally normalized relations with Oman. We also established balanced diplomatic and trade relations with countries worldwide, including Iran.
Our relationship with Iran at that time was based on mutual interests, especially in oil refining. Iran refined more than three million tons of oil at the Aden refinery, which helped keep the refinery operational and supported the national economy after most friendly and brotherly countries refused to provide this support. The refinery was on the verge of shutting down, which would have disrupted the lives of more than ten thousand workers and caused significant losses to the state.
It is worth noting that the Aden refinery was not just an economic facility; it was the foundation of Little Aden city, including housing, hospitals, shops, and a port for exporting oil to the world. This refinery has always been a vital artery for the Yemeni economy and an example of the importance of balanced relations with countries to achieve national interests.
Our relationship with any country was based on mutual interests and respect for national sovereignty, just as regional countries maintain diplomatic and trade relations with Iran, including exchanging diplomatic missions and daily flights.
However, focusing on one aspect of these relationships and ignoring other positive roles is a reduction of the facts. My movements have always sought to achieve Yemen's interests and those of its people, away from any narrow agendas.
You mentioned having relationships with all Yemeni parties. Do you have relations with the Houthis, and when was your last contact with them? What responses did you receive?
We have relationships with all Yemeni parties, including Ansar Allah, the Southern Transitional Council, and other political forces on the Yemeni scene, for the benefit of Yemen, its security, sovereignty, and prosperity. Yemen has suffered and continues to suffer from the fires of wars in the past and present. We reiterate that the solution lies in resorting to dialogue with all Yemeni parties and components, both inside and outside the country.
In a television interview, you mentioned that you are not against Operation Decisive Storm but against the war. In your opinion, what could have been done to stop the Houthis from taking over Yemen and monopolizing power and wealth?
Ansar Allah is part of Yemeni society. They participated in the National Dialogue, the dialogue in Kuwait, and their recent dialogue with Saudi Arabia under Omani auspices. We blessed this dialogue as a path to security and peace in Yemen and the region. There is no solution in Yemen except through a national project and a national dialogue that excludes no one.
Tell us about the Yemeni Peace Group and how it evolved into the Arab Peace Group. What successes have the two groups achieved?
The idea began with the Yemeni Peace Committee, a group advocating for peace in Yemen, including Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Majali, former Prime Minister of Jordan, Samir Habashneh, former Jordanian Minister of Interior, Abbas Zaki, member of the Central Committee of the Fatah Movement, and other Arab figures calling for an end to the war in Yemen. In 2015, we communicated with all parties in an attempt to stop the war and establish peace.
We later developed the idea into the Arab Peace Group when wars erupted across the region. Today, the group includes 50 political, intellectual, academic, and social figures from most Arab countries. We held the founding meeting at the Arab League headquarters in October 2022, under the auspices of Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. The General Assembly held its second meeting on April 30 this year.
In its statement, the group called for an end to the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as an end to wars and the extinguishing of hotspots in Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia. It emphasized the need for dialogue to achieve peace and end wars that only benefit the enemies of the Arab nation, foremost among them the Zionist entity.
How do you evaluate the performance of the United Nations and its envoys to Yemen? Why do you think they have failed to resolve the crisis and establish peace?
I have met all the UN envoys, starting with Jamal Benomar, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, Martin Griffiths, and most recently Hans Grundberg. They have undoubtedly made significant efforts since the beginning of the crisis in Yemen. Jamal Benomar facilitated the National Dialogue in Sana'a for about a year, resulting in the National Dialogue Conference outcomes. Subsequent envoys continued their activities at local, regional, and international levels. The recent truce, which is still ongoing, is one of the results of these UN efforts.
However, as we have emphasized, the solution in Yemen lies in stopping the war and restoring the state. This can only be achieved through a national dialogue, which requires all parties to have sincere political will and be ready to make concessions for the sake of the nation, away from external agendas that complicate the situation.
How do you evaluate the performance of the Presidential Leadership Council and the legitimate government? What is your message to the council?
We follow the activities of the Presidential Leadership Council, led by President Rashad Al-Alimi. We hoped the council would pay special attention to improving citizens' lives, their living and security conditions, and providing essential services such as electricity, water, health, and education, especially in Aden and other governorates where electricity was introduced a hundred years ago.
We previously called on the council, upon its formation, to engage in dialogue with all parties in Yemen, both north and south. This remains our demand for the benefit of Yemen, its security, and the region's security.
What is your vision for stopping the currency collapse and improving the economic situation? How did President Ali Nasser view the reversal of the Central Bank's decisions?
To stop the currency collapse and improve the economic situation, it is essential to curb reckless practices in managing the revenues of sovereign institutions, ensure their transparency, and regularize the deposit of revenues into the Central Bank.
It is also necessary to stop the continuous hemorrhage of public funds, especially in sensitive areas like electricity, which has become a significant problem due to the lack of a serious strategy to address it, despite being a manageable issue if there is genuine will.
Additionally, non-service administrative government expenditures, especially those consuming foreign currency, should be rationalized as they inflate day by day without justification.
It is also important to resume the operation of productive sectors that can provide the country with foreign currency, such as the Aden refinery and the oil sectors, which, as we have learned, number more than 130 maritime and land sectors across Yemeni territories.
However, the lack of transparency and accountability remains a major obstacle to any real development, preventing the implementation of these strategies and hindering the achievement of a future vision that enhances economic growth.
All these solutions require the restoration of a state with a single government that ensures the fair distribution of national wealth and works to build a strong and independent national economy, free from corruption, favoritism, and mismanagement, thereby enhancing citizens' trust in state institutions and putting Yemen on the path to recovery.
Recently, Haidar Al-Attas returned to Aden for the first time in 30 years. Will we see President Ali Nasser in Aden as well? Are you considering returning?
I have previously visited Aden and Sana'a in 1996 and 1998. I look forward to visiting our beloved and great homeland. Nothing is preventing my visit when the conditions are suitable for making this visit and permanently returning to the homeland.
Recently, a coalition of anti-Houthi political parties was announced in Aden. What is your stance on it? What could it contribute to the Yemeni scene? How do you view the performance of political parties?
We followed the recent meeting in Aden, which resulted in the announcement of the National Coalition of Political Parties and the election of Dr. Ahmed bin Dagher as its president. We are interested in such entities contributing to bridging the national divide and achieving security and stability in Yemen.
We call for comprehensive Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue that excludes no one in Yemen, both north and south.
How do you see national unity today as it faces fragmentation under regional and sectarian slogans, given your prominent role in achieving it?
These conflicts and wars, which have lasted for more than fifty years in the south and the north, and between the north and the south before and after unification, have left a wound in the body of national and Yemeni unity. It is time for us to rise above our wounds, overcome the effects of these conflicts, and look forward to a better and more beautiful future for our country and our people.
As a political and nationalist leader who fought to expel British colonialism from southern Yemen, how do you view some voices and positions that glorify colonialism and pave the way for its return?
Colonialism left due to the sacrifices of our people over more than a hundred years, culminating in the armed revolution against British colonialism, which was said to be the empire on which the sun never sets. President Gamal Abdel Nasser launched it during his visit to Taiz in 1964, saying that colonialism should pack its bags and leave Aden. Indeed, it left Aden on November 30, 1967, never to return. We are keen on maintaining relations with Britain and all countries worldwide for the benefit of Yemen and its people.
Yemenis are currently celebrating the anniversary of Independence Day on November 30. What is your message to Yemenis, especially in the south, on this occasion?
We congratulate the Yemeni people on this cherished occasion, which marks the evacuation of the largest British base in the Middle East. This occasion comes as the Palestinian and Lebanese people suffer from the genocide committed by the Zionist entity, a war unprecedented in history, even during the First and Second World Wars, using the latest weapons of destruction today.
We wish the Yemeni people security, stability, peace, victory, freedom, and peace for the Palestinian and Lebanese people, and the establishment of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
We congratulate the men of the October 14 Revolution who participated in achieving this great victory and are still alive.
Glory and immortality to the martyrs of the October and September revolutions and the Palestinian and Lebanese martyrs.
Happy Independence Day to all.