Houthis accuse Gulf states of 'interfering' in Yemen's affairs

Yemen’s Houthis on Wednesday accused the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) of “interfering” in Yemen’s affairs, after a GCC summit called for the Shiite rebels to withdraw from areas under their control.

The GCC, which is comprised of Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia (which borders Yemen, along with Oman), released a statement on Tuesday calling on the rebels, who hold swathes of Yemen including the capital Sana’a, to withdraw from areas they have “occupied” and relinquish control of state institutions.

They also reiterated their support for embattled Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi

Allegations of Gulf interference in the impoverished country have existed for years, with both the Houthis and the government accused of having powerful backers in neighbouring states.

Earlier in 2014, it was alleged by sources close to the president that the UAE had been involved in orchestrating the Houthi takeover of Sana’a in tandem with former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The Houthis remain locked in a bloody war with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the group that previously held de facto control of large parts of central Yemen before a government crackdown launched in May shrank their sphere of influence.