Tribal role in Yemen war is under-rated

Significance

Tribes are an important and under-acknowledged element in Yemen’s social, security and political structures. Any agreement to end the civil war needs to take into consideration the interactions within and between tribes, as well as their leaders’ relations with the commanders of military factions that hold political power through the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC).

Impacts

• A new short-term ceasefire is possible.
• Worsening socioeconomic conditions due to reduced humanitarian support is likely to encourage localised struggles over limited resources.
• Political parties will remain weak and largely irrelevant to resolving the civil war.