Absence of Violence or Sustainable Peace? Yemen’s Pathway Forward

Peace is often defined as the absence of violence. But the mere absence of violence may not lead to sustainable peace, especially when the underlying roots of violence are not addressed. This is no more relevant than in Yemen, whose civil war began in 2014, when Houthi insurgent took control of Sana’a, demanding lower fuel prices and a new government. Sooner or later the parties to the conflict will resort to negotiation. But will the peace deal be sustainable? To assure a sustainable peace, Yemen must move beyond a pattern of simple conflict resolution, which has so far failed to address the historical roots of the country’s recurrent crises, along with its intergroup grievances, and elites’ manipulation of ethnic identities. Positive and sustainable peace requires serious reconciliation with the past — an indispensable step for an enduring and meaningful transitional justice. This approach has implications not only for Yemen but for other conflicts in the MENA region, such as Libya and Syria