Houthi militias in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, mobilized their security forces two days after slogans calling for the group's departure appeared on walls across the city it’s been occupying since mid-2014.
Houthis fear a popular explosion against the backdrop of the crisis experienced by the population there, due to the denial of entry to fuel tankers, and the militias' insistence on linking people's lives to the arrival of oil derivatives imported by their loyalists.
The group's repressive behavior over the past weeks has paralyzed movement in Sanaa as thousands of students and civil staffers were forced to stay at their homes due to skyrocketing transportation rates.
Residents and political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the militias were surprised by the slogans that appeared on the walls of several houses calling for the Houthis to leave the capital.
The slogans’ appearance coincided with a widespread state of popular anger, which reached the level of public criticism of the militias and their leadership. Some politicians who had supported the coup and adopted its positions over the past years are now slamming Houthis for their oppressive policies.
According to locals, Houthis ordered police stations in Sanaa to implement a 10:00 pm curfew across the capital. They also ordered the installation of CCTV cameras in neighborhoods where the slogans appeared. Residents of those neighborhoods are also being investigated.
Sources reported that directives were issued by the Preventive Security Agency of the Houthi militia, which is a private security agency.
The Agency also ordered the deployment of night watchmen across Sanaa’s neighborhoods to monitor residents. It also called for arresting any Yemeni who enters a neighborhood they don’t reside in. Those detained may be released after a local guarantor gives assurances regarding the reasons behind their visit.
These Houthi steps, according to sources, were accompanied by directives to mosque preachers, school directors, education offices, radio stations and television stations to stage a campaign justifying the Houthis’ actions towards the fuel crisis and to hold the legitimate government and the Saudi-led Arab Coalition responsible.
