Since the Houthi militias launched their coup against Yemen’s legitimate government five years ago, they have been using tribal chiefs whether by recruiting them or by humiliating and repressing them and eliminating their social role.

Tribal sources in the capital, Sanaa, have reported that the group has returned to targeting tribal chiefs in the capital and other Houthi-run areas, after accusing them of not recruiting militants from their tribes to fight in insurgent ranks and falling short in collecting financial donations.

The sources confirmed that the group conducted several arrests against tribal men, especially in the vicinity of Sanaa, by raiding their homes.

People from the area told Asharq Al-Awsat that the raids and arrests aim to humiliate tribes and their chiefs and subject them to the rule of Houthis, in addition to forcing them to attend workshops intended to incite sectarian tension.

Since their coup, the militias have been practicing all sorts of humiliation against Yemenis. Houthi abuse of civilians are not limited to civilians in Yemen. The Iran-backed militias have conducted all sorts of violations such as assaults, arrests, murders and abductions against dozens of elders in Sanaa and other areas under their control.

According to a recent Yemeni report, in 2019, the group killed, abducted and destroyed the homes of more than 22 tribal chiefs, the majority of whom opposed their coup.

The report confirmed that last year, the militias killed 12 elders who had paved the way for the coup in 2014.

The Houthis’ targeting of their allies have taken several shapes and forms, most prominently, killing them in humiliating ways in order to spread terror among people and other tribal chiefs who support them.

This was the fate of Sheikh Mohammad al-Matri, known as Abu Siraj, one of the Bani Matar chiefs in West Sanaa. Sheikh Mohammad al-Shatwi - a prominent figure in the Sufyan district in Amran governorate - who supported the Houthis, also met a similar fate.