Houthi campaigns against the September 26 Revolution celebrations in Yemen, and the meeting between Sisi and Al-Hakim in Cairo

On the eve of the 64th anniversary of the September 26 revolution, the hijacked Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and the areas under the control of the Houthi group are experiencing a state of security and intelligence tension, and strict restrictions and censorship measures are being taken to prevent popular celebrations, and their effects have spread to social media platforms, while the group arrested more than 30 people in Dhamar Governorate for updating their personal photos on the “WhatsApp” application with the slogan of the anniversary of the revolution, which sparked a massive wave of anger on the platforms. Social networking.

Local sources in Dhamar (100 kilometers south of Sanaa) told Asharq Al-Awsat that Houthi checkpoints in the governorate then began searching the phones of car drivers and passengers in search of slogans, pictures and phrases celebrating the anniversary of the revolution, causing a state of anxiety among the population, the majority of whom resorted to hiding these appearances from their phones or not moving around with them in the streets for fear of arrest.

Sanaa and a number of cities under the control of the Houthi group witnessed strict measures to restrict the population and prevent any demonstrations to celebrate the anniversary of the revolution that overthrew the rule of the ancestors of the group’s leader in 1962.

The preemptive security measures were not limited to field movements and the arrest of dozens of activists and residents due to the manifestations of the celebration of this anniversary, but also extended to social networking sites that are witnessing controversy between those who adhere to the identity of the revolution, and those loyal to the group that fears the occasion turning into a popular uprising.

In light of this, other sources in Sanaa revealed that the group obligated neighborhood officials known as “neighbourhood heads,” which are semi-official positions, to update residents’ data and inform police departments and security agencies about new residents, and force property owners to hand over complete data on all families who rent their homes.

According to what the sources reported to Asharq Al-Awsat; The group's requests include disclosing everything related to the new tenants, their activities and movements during recent weeks, and their phone numbers and accounts on social media sites.

According to the sources, the group is tightening its control over every individual who does not have an account in his name on social media sites, due to its suspicions that he has accounts under pseudonyms to escape censorship.

Mahmoud Abdel-Daem, a pseudonym for an academic researcher specializing in politics and media at Sanaa University, believes that the group has been able in recent years, due to its repressive practices and measures to restrict freedoms, to limit the celebrations commemorating the Yemeni revolution, but the same practices and measures have doubled the Yemenis’ faith in this revolution.

He explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that the group, according to internal discussions that he learned of through his colleagues belonging to the group, faced two options: either allowing the residents to celebrate to relieve their tensions due to deteriorating living conditions and poor services, or preventing them with all possible means of force and tightening the screws on them.

He points out that the first option was linked to the possibility of the population being content with celebrations as an outlet for pent-up collective anger, especially if the group contributed to these celebrations and sponsored them. However, the second option prevailed due to the security and repressive mentality of the group, which believes that allowing the expression of popular anger opens the door to the possibility of it turning into a massive uprising that is difficult to control.

Informed sources had revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the security campaigns to restrict celebrations commemorating the “September 26 Revolution” began with competition between wings within the group to implicate each other in crises that would cause a decline in its influence.

According to the sources, a number of the group’s leaders who were dissatisfied with the empowerment of Ali Hussein al-Houthi, the son of the group’s founder, to lead a new intelligence service called the “Police and Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Service,” recommended implementing the largest of these campaigns immediately after the establishment of the agency two years ago, which resulted in the arrest of thousands of residents within a record period of time.

Instead of this Houthi campaign causing discontent within the group, and leading to a reduction in the influence of Ali Hussein al-Houthi, due to fears of societal reactions and the impact on the group’s reputation, the opposite happened, and his practices were well received by his uncle Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the group, and the environment surrounding him.

Although the group's actions have significantly limited the spread of popular celebrations of the anniversary of the Yemeni revolution, social networking sites are still witnessing an expansion of celebratory manifestations, as personal pages have turned into murals in the colors of the country's flag, red, white and black, and hundreds of thousands have organized a campaign to change their personal photos and install frames dedicated to the anniversary as a kind of peaceful challenge.

The discussion went beyond the historical dimension to relate to the deteriorating living reality. The posts focused on sharp comparisons between the era before the Houthi coup and the current situation, and users focused on the changes that the country has witnessed since the group’s control, such as the interruption of public employee salaries, the cessation of school construction, the disruption and privatization of electricity service, the increased imposition of taxes, and the looting of public and private property.

On the other hand, accounts loyal to the group moved to demonize this virtual movement, accusing its participants of being “traitors and mercenaries” implementing external agendas to stir up chaos.

During the past years, the anniversary of the “September 26” revolution has turned into a political and national symbol of rejection of the Houthi rule, as Yemenis compensate with celebrations through the virtual world for what they were deprived of expressing in the streets and public squares of the cities.

On Thursday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received the head of the Iraqi “Hekma Movement,” Ammar al-Hakim, where he stressed his country’s constant concern for the security and stability of Iraq, and its support for all measures taken by the Iraqi state “to preserve Iraq’s sovereignty and the unity and integrity of its lands.”

The talks also dealt with the Iraqi government’s efforts to “fight corruption and restrict weapons.” The meeting held in Cairo was attended by the Vice President of the “Al-Hikma Movement” Mohsen Al-Hakim, the Advisor to the President of the “Al-Hikma Movement,” Ahmed Al-Hakim, the Head of Egyptian General Intelligence, Hassan Rashad, and the Iraqi Ambassador, Qahtan Taha Janabi.

Al-Sisi had visited Baghdad in June 2021, in the first visit by an Egyptian president to Iraq in decades as part of the tripartite cooperation mechanism that brought together Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan, and aimed to enhance political, economic, and security coordination between the three countries.

According to a statement by Egyptian presidential spokesman Mohamed El-Shenawy, during Thursday’s meeting, President Sisi stressed “the historical fraternal relations between Egypt and Iraq and their brotherly peoples,” stressing Egypt’s keenness “to communicate with the institutions of the Iraqi state and all political and national forces in light of the strong fraternal relations between the two countries.”

He also valued Iraq's role in the war on terrorism and extremist ideology and working to uproot their roots, as well as "the constructive role played by the head of the Al-Hikma Movement to enhance stability, reduce political disparities, and advance Iraq's national interest."

While Ammar Al-Hakim stressed his pride in the historical relations and fraternal ties that link his country with Egypt, stressing the centrality of its role in enhancing security and stability in the region, “including supporting Iraq and its endeavors to restore its natural leading position at the Arab and regional levels.”

He also indicated his keenness to consult with the Egyptian President regarding regional developments and to find out his vision of ways to reduce the escalation and current geopolitical tensions, as well as distancing Iraq from their negative consequences.

Regarding the meeting, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and former Assistant Foreign Minister, Ambassador Salah Halima, pointed out the presence of some elements in Iraq “that are not in line with the general trend towards achieving security and stability in the country,” pointing out the need for there to be a move to prevent any practices that take place outside the control of the existing regime in Iraq.

He added to Asharq Al-Awsat: “Things may require a very large amount of cooperation between Egypt and Iraq, especially since Iraqi national security is an integral part of Arab national security in general, and has a close connection to security and stability in the Red Sea region and the Gulf region.”

Regarding the implications of the visit of the head of the “Al-Hikma Movement” to Cairo, he said that it indicates the necessity of some kind of agreement to remove all sources of threat in Iraq, and to stop any escalation or developments that would destabilize security and stability, and it also pushes towards greater cooperation between the two sides in all fields.

According to the statement of the presidential spokesman, the meeting touched on the current regional scene and its repercussions on the countries and peoples of the region, especially Egypt and Iraq. In this context, President Sisi reviewed the national vision based on the call to give priority to peaceful solutions to crises and conflicts, and support legitimate institutions and the concept of the unifying national state.

He also addressed the ongoing Egyptian efforts to reduce tension and avoid sliding into a new wave of escalation, stressing the importance of Iraq continuing to play a constructive role to enhance the collective security of the Arab countries and preserve the capabilities of the peoples of the region.

The recent period has witnessed an increase in visits between Cairo and Baghdad. On August 27, 2024, Al-Sisi received former Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, on his third visit to Egypt, and then discussed “strengthening cooperation in the fields of energy, trade, investment and reconstruction,” in addition to contacts at the level of foreign ministers of the two countries to discuss calm in the region.

At the end of last August, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met with the head of Egyptian intelligence, who conveyed to him a message from Sisi, in which he praised the depth of the strategic relations between the two countries, and his constant readiness to support efforts to achieve the aspirations of the two brotherly peoples in all fields, according to a statement from the “Iraqi Council of Ministers.”

A high-level technical delegation from the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources also visited Egypt at the beginning of this month, with the aim of “strengthening technical cooperation and exchanging experiences between Cairo and Baghdad.”

The Palestinian issue was a focus in the meeting between Al-Sisi and the head of the Iraqi “Al-Hikma Movement” on Thursday, where the Egyptian President spoke about his country’s efforts to support the Palestinian people through efforts to implement the second phase of the Sharm El-Sheikh Agreement and the “American Peace Plan,” in addition to introducing aid and intensifying humanitarian relief efforts in the Gaza Strip.

He stressed “Egypt’s firm position regarding the inevitability of establishing the Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the decisions of international legitimacy as a comprehensive, just, and only solution to the Palestinian issue.”