President Al-Alimi: Non-State Weapons Create Fertile Ground for Extremist Groups

  Riyadh

His Excellency President Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, President of the Presidential Leadership Council, today Monday, received Dr. Tobias Tunkel, the Special Envoy of the German Federal Foreign Office for the Middle, Near East and North Africa, along with Mr. Thomas Schneider, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Yemen.

The meeting discussed the long-standing bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and ways to enhance them across various fields. As well as they discussed the priorities of German and European support required to strengthen the Yemeni government’s capacity to impose security and stability and to build peace.

During the meeting, the President of the Presidential Leadership Council highly praised the Federal Republic of Germany’s supportive stance toward Yemen, its unity and stability, in addition to its valued contributions to the humanitarian response plan as one of the largest European donors. He noted that this steadfast German support reflects a moral commitment to the Yemeni people, who are facing one of the largest humanitarian crises of modern times.

President Al-Alimi reviewed recent domestic developments following the successful handover of military camps, describing it as a corrective measure aimed at unifying security and military decision-making and preventing the country from sliding into chaos. He explained that this step would play a decisive role in consolidating internal stability, creating a more conducive environment for institutional work, facilitating the flow of aid, and restoring confidence with the international community.

The President also addressed misleading narratives promoted to justify unilateral actions in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra under the pretext of combating terrorism. He affirmed that the Yemeni case—like many others in the region—demonstrates that supporting militias outside state authority does not combat terrorism, but rather reproduces it.

He stressed that security chaos, the multiplicity of power centers, and the legitimization of weapons outside the framework of the state constitute the ideal environment for the growth of extremist groups and the creation of gray zones in which militias of all forms intersect with the objectives of terrorist organizations.

President Al-Alimi further warned that any attempt to expand hotspots of tension or create new platforms threatening the security of neighboring countries is not merely a local gamble. He stressed that such actions also endanger maritime waterways, posing risks to global energy security and supply chains, and constituting a real threat to international peace and security.

In this context, he pointed out that Yemen, by virtue of its geographic location, is not a peripheral arena, and that any instability there would quickly be reflected in the security of maritime navigation through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, with repercussions extending to Europe and the wider world.

The President of the Presidential Leadership Council renewed his praise for the role played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since Operation Decisive Storm, which prevented the state from falling into the grip of the Iranian regime, through Operation Restoring Hope, and up to the recent de-escalation efforts. He noted that the Kingdom has single-handedly defended the decisions of international legitimacy, supported peace tracks, and borne heavy political and humanitarian burdens for the sake of Yemen’s and the region’s stability.

President Al-Alimi considered the current moment a rare opportunity for the international community in Yemen, given the presence of a single, reliable partner and accountable institutions, instead of dealing with undisciplined militias. He emphasized that supporting the Yemeni state politically, economically, and humanitarianly constitutes support for the security and stability of the region and the world.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Yahya Al-Shuaibi, the Director of the Office of the Presidency of the Republic, and Dr. Shai’a Al-Zindani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.