Leadership shake-up in Yemen: Prime minister resigns

Ahmad bin Mubarak, the Prime Minister of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, on Saturday, May 3, 2025, stepped down from his position.

He reportedly cited his inability to fully exercise his constitutional authority and implement key reforms.

His resignation comes after prolonged internal conflict with Rashad al-Alimi, the head of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), which governs Yemen’s fractured administration.

Bin Mubarak, who was appointed prime minister in February 2024, formally announced his resignation in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

He stated that he had met with Alimi before submitting his resignation letter.

In the said letter, he emphasized that persistent interference and internal obstacles had prevented him from carrying out essential duties.

These duties included reforming government institutions and making necessary administrative changes.

According to senior Yemeni officials and ministers, bin Mubarak had been engaged in months of escalating disputes with Alimi and several PLC members.

They described a breakdown in cooperation and trust, which had severely undermined the government’s effectiveness.

These sources, who spoke anonymously to protect their positions, noted that bin Mubarak had taken steps that heightened tensions.

Steps such as freezing the budgets of key ministries, including the defense ministry, he supposedly took, on the grounds of financial mismanagement and corruption.

The Prime Minister’s move to suspend significant government expenditures, including budget allocations for PLC members, was seen by some as a bold anti-corruption initiative.

However, others viewed it as a politically charged maneuver, driven by what they described as personal ambition.

Analysts like Mohammed al-Basha of the U.S.-based Basha Report stated that bin Mubarak’s desire to hold broader powers akin to those of the presidency created friction and contributed to his political isolation.

“His push for greater authority created repeated conflicts with other senior officials and diminished trust,” Basha explained.

Bin Mubarak, previously Yemen’s ambassador to the United States and its envoy to the United Nations, is known for his firm opposition to the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.

In 2015, the Houthis abducted him and held him captive for several days.

Despite these challenges, he rose to become foreign minister in 2018 and later assumed the role of Prime Minister earlier this year.

In his resignation message, bin Mubarak said he had still managed to deliver tangible results, citing progress in economic reforms and a clampdown on corruption during his short tenure.

Nevertheless, his departure signals the extent of internal divisions that continue to paralyze Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

Since the Houthis seized control of the capital Sana’a in 2014, the internationally backed government has been based in the southern city of Aden.

The conflict soon escalated into a full-scale civil war, with a Saudi-led coalition intervening in 2015 to support the government.

However, despite years of military operations, the Houthis continue to control most of Yemen’s population centers.

The situation has become even more volatile in recent months.

The Houthis have reprtedly expanded their military campaign beyond Yemen.

The reports also indicate that they have been launching drone and missile strikes at Israel and targeting maritime vessels in key shipping routes.

They also rportedly claim solidarity with Palestinians amid the conflict in Gaza.

These actions have triggered U.S.-led retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi-controlled areas.

Bin Mubarak’s resignation is viewed by some experts as an opportunity to reduce internal divisions and restore some measure of unity within the anti-Houthi coalition.

Mohammed al-Basha noted that his departure could help the government move past months of infighting and regain focus.

“This could be a step toward restoring cohesion, which is desperately needed to stabilize the government,” he said.

The war in Yemen has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, with hundreds of thousands killed and millions displaced.

Although active fighting decreased following a United Nations-mediated truce in 2022, recent developments, including the Gaza war and Houthi cross-border attacks, have reignited tensions in the region.

As Yemen’s fragile leadership attempts to regroup, bin Mubarak’s resignation supposedly underscores the ongoing challenges of governance in a country fractured by civil war, regional power struggles, and internal rivalry.

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