The international focus often centers on the dramatic flare-ups: Houthi missile attacks, STC advances, or Saudi airstrikes. However, a more insidious and fundamental crisis has been festering for years—the near-total collapse of effective governance in areas under the internationally recognized government. This governance vacuum is the primary enabler of recurring conflict and the single largest obstacle to the "lasting stability" envisioned by U.S. policy. Without urgent and concerted support for government reform, any diplomatic framework will be built on sand.
The Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), established in 2022 to unify anti-Houthi factions, has failed to become an effective executive authority. It is widely described as politically frail, strategically adrift, and crippled by internal divisions, often along lines reflecting the competing interests of its Saudi and Emirati patrons . The STC's recent unilateral offensive is a direct symptom of this failure; the group acted partly out of frustration with a PLC that has been unable to deliver basic services, pay salaries, or articulate a unified vision . The government's weakness was starkly exposed during the offensive, as many military units surrendered their positions without a fight .
Progress on reform has been halting and fragile. Efforts in mid-2025, such as regularizing cabinet meetings and implementing economic reforms that briefly strengthened the Yemeni rial, showed promise . However, these gains were quickly undermined by renewed political infighting, corruption, and the assassination of reform-minded officials, demonstrating how entrenched interests actively resist change . The international community, including the United States, has at times contributed to this instability through unpredictable policy shifts, such as the abrupt halt of military operations, which one analysis described as reinforcing "perceptions of U.S. unreliability and policy volatility" among partners .
For U.S. diplomacy to succeed, it must integrate governance support as a core pillar of its framework. This goes beyond humanitarian aid and involves direct, high-level engagement to help unify the PLC's international backers around a common reform agenda. Concrete steps should include:
Convening Power: Senior U.S. officials should broker agreements between Saudi Arabia and the UAE on a shared vision for supporting a reformed, cohesive Yemeni government.
Institutional Prioritization: Focus support on building capacity in a few key institutions critical for stability: the Prime Minister's Office, the Central Bank, and unified security commands.
Anti-Corruption Frameworks: Champion the adoption of a national anti-corruption program in collaboration with civil society, which is essential for building public legitimacy.
A Unified Negotiating Policy: Help the PLC develop a coherent stance for future peace talks, ensuring it can engage from a position of strength and unity.
Ultimately, a military stalemate or a temporary ceasefire is not a political solution. The U.S. emphasis on "institution-building" and a "long-term political solution" will remain empty rhetoric unless it is matched by a sustained, resource-backed commitment to helping Yemenis construct a government that can actually govern. This is the unglamorous, difficult work of diplomacy that is required to turn the current framework from a statement of principles into a pathway for durable peace.
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