Military Expert: Yemen Tests International Commitment to Peoples’ Right to Self-Determination
Military affairs expert Col. Akram Kamal Sirwi said recent developments in Yemen have revealed a clear convergence between the will to fight and the rapid development of Yemen’s military capabilities, noting that plans relying on an advance toward and capture of Sana’a had collapsed in the face of a battlefield reality different from what had been anticipated.
Speaking to Almasirah on Wednesday, Sirwi said the Yemen issue had moved beyond its internal dimension years ago to become directly linked to foreign intervention in Yemen’s decision-making and the people’s right to self-determination. He said continued foreign intervention, regardless of its source, raises questions over the will of Yemenis and the future of their political and sovereign decisions.
He noted that the right of peoples to self-determination is regularly discussed in international forums, saying the situation in Yemen places the international community before a real test of its respect for peoples’ will and rejection of foreign tutelage.
The military expert discussed Yemen’s demographic and battlefield landscape, noting that the largest population concentration is in the free governorates and areas under the control of the Sana’a government, while other areas are divided among multiple forces. He stressed that the political and military situation in those areas does not necessarily indicate a consensus in favor of continued foreign intervention or acceptance of foreign tutelage.
Sirwi said the popular reception of the Yemeni Armed Forces in areas they entered along the western coast indicates public engagement with the military developments. He added that these developments reveal aspects of popular attitudes toward the various forces competing on the Yemeni scene, saying the core of the problem lies in the insistence of some external parties on treating Yemen as a sphere of influence or an area under tutelage rather than as a state and people with an inherent right to determine their political and military choices.
The colonel linked this situation to the Chinese experience, citing developments following the Chinese Revolution in 1949 and the continued international recognition of Taiwan’s government for years before the international position later changed. He said history offers examples of political arrangements remaining in place for periods before changing in response to shifts in the balance of power on the ground.
He noted that the 1971 United Nations decision on China’s representation at the organization marked an important shift in recognition of the authority representing China at the UN, suggesting that Yemen could witness similar political changes as the balance of power on the ground evolves.
Sirwi said recent developments had exposed the failure of expectations that Saudi-backed mercenary militias and external parties could make a rapid breakthrough toward Sana’a. He said plans based on advancing and taking control encountered a different battlefield reality, causing those expectations to collapse within a short period.
The military expert attributed this shift to two main factors: “the will to fight” and the continued development of Yemeni military technology and capabilities, stressing that the two factors directly interacted in shaping the course of the confrontation.
He said Yemeni forces engaged in the confrontation rely on a national and revolutionary military doctrine and view the battle as a defense of Yemen and the interests of the Yemeni people, which is reflected in their level of preparedness and resilience on the battlefield.
He added that fighting alone is insufficient in modern warfare, noting that the military and technological development achieved by Yemeni forces has contributed to changing the nature of the confrontation, particularly through coordination between weapons development, increased readiness, training and preparation for combat.
Sirwi said combining fighting will with military capability was among the key factors that prevented plans aimed at deciding the battle and taking control of Sana’a from succeeding. He added that battlefield developments have demonstrated a transformation in Yemen’s military capabilities compared with the early years of the Saudi aggression against Yemen.
The remarks come amid renewed military and political developments in Yemen, particularly along the western coast, where shifts in control have raised questions over the balance of power and the future of the conflict. The debate over foreign intervention and Yemen’s political sovereignty remains central to competing positions over the country’s future and the role of external powers.