Yemen's Unity: A National Dream Now a Necessity for State Restoration

Yemenis across the political spectrum assert that national unity has never been the cause of the nation's crises; rather, it has historically represented a long-awaited national dream and the culmination of arduous struggles by the people of the north and south against colonialism, division, and political conflicts.

As Yemen marks the 36th anniversary of the reunification on May 22, 1990, citizens, intellectuals, and politicians believe that this historic achievement remains the true and sole guarantor of Yemen's stability and the preservation of its national identity against fragmentation plans.

Academics and intellectuals agree that Yemeni unity was not merely a transient political deal or a narrow partisan project dictated by circumstances, but a deeply rooted popular demand among Yemenis. Observers note that every Yemeni household, from north to south, believed in the shared identity and history of the north and south, with the events of May 22nd being the natural outcome of significant sacrifices made by Yemenis throughout various political stages.

They highlighted the organic connection between the Yemeni revolutions, asserting that the September 26 and October 14 revolutions inherently carried the project of national liberation and the establishment of a unified Yemeni state, extending a shared struggle where Yemenis united against imamate tyranny and foreign colonialism.

In the complex reality Yemen faces today, unity takes on new functional dimensions. Yemenis believe that preserving the nation's unity is now an existential necessity to counter sectarian and regional agendas that threaten Yemen's identity and its Arab depth. Activists and politicians emphasize that a strong, unified Yemen is capable of thwarting any external project seeking to tear society apart or impose foreign religious and lineage-based agendas on Yemeni culture.

They explained that the weaker the state and the more its bonds fray, the wider the scope for sectarian and regional projects to expand and dominate, while adherence to a unifying identity serves as a fundamental protective factor for the social fabric.

Amidst the ongoing suffering from war and the coup, Yemeni voices are increasingly calling for the correction of the state's course through a genuine national partnership that addresses past mistakes while safeguarding sovereign gains, foremost among them unity. The Yemeni street asserts that the nation's future cannot be built on division, fragmentation, and small-scale projects, but rather through a just state that encompasses all its citizens without exclusion, respects diversity and pluralism, and prioritizes development and stability for its people.

Observers of Yemeni affairs conclude that the battle to restore the state and end the coup begins with reinforcing the concept of equal citizenship, drying up the sources of internal conflicts, and rallying around a comprehensive national project that preserves Yemen's unity, sovereignty, and its historical role in its regional and Arab surroundings.