Popular Committees (Yemen)

The Popular Committees (Arabic: اللجان الشعبية), also known as the People's Committees, are armed groups formed by Yemeni tribes on behalf of more professional armed forces.

Overview

The Middle East Institute describes Popular Committees as "an indigenous movement whose mandate and function are rooted in and inspired by the tribal tradition of collective responsibility in which local men volunteer to maintain security in their communities."[1] Many Popular Committees area affiliated with local political parties and movements including the Houthis, the Southern Movement (Hirak), the Islah party, the Yemeni Socialist Party and the ruling-General People's Congress.[2][3][4] Within the context of the civil war, Popular Committees can be divided between those supporting the Houthi government and those supporting the internationally-recognized government, and have been utilized in offensive maneuvers and operations rather than just defending their communities.[2]

The Yemeni army has required the support of tribal militias or what have become known as People's Committees in internal and external wars. When the 1962 revolution in northern Yemen did not receive military support from the United Kingdom, some troops allied with the deposed Imams to regain power. Tribal links weakened, especially in Taiz and Ibb; members received a monthly salary, wore military uniforms and underwent military training.[5][6][2]

During the presidency of Abdul Rahman al-Iryani (1967–1974) the military battled over policy, beginning with a conflict over the establishment of the National Council. The "popular committees" further polarized the country.[7]

During the 1980s Ali Abdullah Saleh reemphasized tribal affairs, in contrast with assassinated president Ibrahim al-Hamdi. His government clashed with the Houthis in Saada and 'Amran Governorates from 2004 to 2009, and the popular committees were used to a regional al-Qaeda's insurgency.[8][9]

In course of the Yemeni Revolution, more and more self-defense groups or popular committees sprung up around the country. One of these was led by warlord Abdullatif Al-Sayed who initially fought against President Saleh's government and with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), but later sided with the new government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. He reorganized his forces as auxiliaries for the army and supported Hadi in the later Yemeni Civil War.[10][11] By 2015, popular committees had spread to other provinces of Yemen,[12][13] and played a major role in the Battle of Aden (2015) against the Houthis.[14]

By 2018, the Houthi rebels had also started to organize their own "popular committees".[15]

By 2022, Popular Committees in Taiz were asking for donations from locals.[16]

Government-aligned groups

Groups allied to the internationally-recognized government of Yemen (the Presidential Leadership Council since 2022) are typically referred to as the Popular Resistance (PR) or Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) in the context of the civil war, but are synonymous with Popular Committees.[17]

History

In the aftermath of the May 2011 takeover of Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan Governorate, several Popular Committees were formed to protect other communities against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's newly formed local front, Ansar al-Sharia.[18][19] Abdullatif al-Sayid was the leader of Popular Committees operating in Khanfar and Zinjibar districts during the conflict.[1] Sayid joined Ansar al-Sharia during its capture of Jaar, the capital of Khanfar district, in March 2011, but eventually defected from the group after witnessing its brutal governing and the execution of his cousin. Sayid began clandestinely recruiting tribesmen in Jaar to fight the militants until August 2011, when they fled after Ansar al-Sharia attacked his house.[20] From thereon, his forces were based in the remote mountains of Abyan, waging a guerilla conflict against Ansar al-Sharia which disrupted the group's supply lines and movement while looting their supplies. His campaign eventually attracted the support of tribes and volunteers in the area.[20][1]

In early April 2012, tribesmen from Popular Committees were instrumental in the defense of Lawdar, another city in Abyan, as Ansar al-Sharia attempted to capture it.[4] The initiative, which was conducted by locals without any formal military training,[21] prevented Ansar al-Sharia from further expanding its territory in the governorate.[1] Soon after, the Yemeni government began directing more supplies to the Popular Committees in Lawdar, and increased its lobbying of tribal and religious figures in Abyan to further proliferate them across the governorate.[4]

The Popular Committees joined an offensive launched by the Yemeni military in May 2012 to uproot Ansar al-Sharia from Abyan, reportedly at a request from Defense Minister Muhammad Nasser Ahmed to Sayid in the case of the Khanfar and Zinjibar groups.[20][1] In Lawdar, Popular Committees were joined by security forces in driving Ansar al-Sharia out of the city completely later in the month. The victory encouraged civilians from other areas in Abyan, as well as displaced refugees, to form and volunteer in Popular Committees in their own cities, leading to numerous groups forming in Abyan throughout the next months.[22][23] Sayid's forces were critical in helping the Yemeni Army drive out Ansar al-Sharia from Jaar and ending the year-long Battle of Zinjibar in June 2012, their success being attributed to "using their local knowledge and warfare tactics."[24][25] According to Sayid, the Popular Committees lost 500 fighters to the overall conflict.[10]

After the withdrawal of Ansar al-Sharia, the Popular Committees took the role of law enforcement in their local areas in expectation for the government to replace them, however as of March 2014 the fighters were still administering the areas.[1][26]

Allegiances

Popular Committees are often driven by and affiliated with a wide variety of actors who share common enemies with the government, such as AQAP and the Houthis. These actors include tribes, political parties such as Islah, anti-Houthi factions of the Yemeni Socialist Party and the General People's Congress, and religious sects such as Sunnis and Salafis.[4][17]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Al-Dawsari, Nadwa (5 March 2014). "The Popular Committees of Abyan, Yemen: A Necessary Evil or an Opportunity for Security Reform?". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Al-Muslim, Farea (1 April 2015). "The Popular Committee Phenomenon in Yemen: Fueling War and Conflict". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  3. ^ Al-Batati, Saeed (13 February 2015). "Aden on edge as Houthis advance south". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d Coombs, Casey L. (7 February 2013). "Yemen's Use of Militias to Maintain Stability in Abyan Province". Combating Terrorism Center. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  5. ^ "52nd anniversary of the September 26 Revolution". Yemen Times. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  6. ^ "Yemen Civil War". Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  7. ^ ""Popular Committees" feed Yemen polarization". IRIN News. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  8. ^ Almasmari, Hakim (12 April 2012). "Yemen government says it killed 42 in clashes with militants". CNN. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  9. ^ "31 dead in Yemen fighting with Qaeda". The Nation. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  10. ^ a b Hendawi, Hamza (24 March 2015). "In south Yemen, a militia leader is president's top ally". Associated Press. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Yemen: Popular Committees Take Control | al Akhbar English". Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  12. ^ "مقتل خمسة أشخاص في اشتباك بين مقاتلي القاعدة وميليشيا في اليمن". Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  13. ^ Mohamed Musharraf (7 May 2014). "Yemen says army captures Al-Qaeda stronghold". Reuters UK. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  14. ^ Mohammed Mukhashaf (16 February 2015). "Forces loyal to president seize parts of Yemen's economic hub". Reuters UK. Archived from the original on 24 December 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  15. ^ Eleonora Ardemagni (19 March 2018). "Yemen's Military: From the Tribal Army to the Warlords". IPSI. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Yemen's Popular Resistance fighters resort to soliciting donations". Middle East Eye. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  17. ^ a b "Resistance Forces". Armed Conflict Location and Event Data. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  18. ^ al-Haidari, Fawaz (12 April 2012). "10 killed in fresh Yemen Qaeda battles". Agence France Presse. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  19. ^ Fahim, Kareem (23 April 2012). "Militants and Politics Bedevil Yemen's New Leaders". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  20. ^ a b c Raghavan, Sudarsan (11 September 2012). "In Yemen, tribal militias in a fierce battle with al-Qaeda wing". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 7 February 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  21. ^ "New Yemeni Resolve to Defeat al-Qaeda Bearing Results in Lawdar". Jamestown Foundation. 20 April 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  22. ^ Ghosh, Bobby (17 September 2012). "The End Of al-Qaeda?". Time. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  23. ^ Gordon, Sasha (25 July 2012). "Map: Popular Committees in Abyan and Shabwah". Critical Threats. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  24. ^ Kasinof, Laura (13 June 2012). "Yemen Says Militants Are Driven From 2 Cities". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  25. ^ Ferguson, Jane (6 June 2012). "Yemen's feuding factions". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  26. ^ "IDPs return amid continuing insecurity in Yemen's war-torn Abyan". The New Humanitarian. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
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