Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council issued two decrees on Sunday appointing new governors for the strategically important provinces of al-Bayda and al-Jawf, as government forces continue military operations against the Houthi group.
According to the government-run Saba news agency, Major General Hussein al-Ajji Ali al-Awadhi has been appointed governor of al-Bayda in central Yemen, replacing Nasser al-Sawadi.
Major General Amin Ali al-Akimi has been named governor of the northern province of al-Jawf and commander of its military axis. He replaces al-Awadhi, who previously served as governor of al-Jawf.
The appointments come amid continued fighting between government forces and the Houthis over strategically important positions in both provinces.
The Houthis control most of al-Bayda, while al-Jawf remains divided between Houthi and government forces.
Al-Bayda occupies a strategically important position in central Yemen, bordering eight provinces and connecting northern and southern parts of the country.
Al-Jawf is equally significant because it shares a border with Saudi Arabia and lies close to the Houthi-controlled provinces of Saada, Amran and Sanaa. It also borders Marib and Hadhramaut, which remain under government control.
Since October 5, Yemeni government forces have been conducting Operation “Dawn of Yemen”, aimed at restoring state institutions in Houthi-controlled territories and recapturing the capital, Sanaa.
The latest military campaign follows renewed fighting between government forces and the Houthis in July, ending a period of relative calm that had largely prevailed since April 2022.
According to UN reports cited in the original account, the escalation has killed or injured thousands of people and displaced more than 250,000, further worsening Yemen’s humanitarian crisis.
Yemen has endured more than a decade of conflict since the Houthis seized Sanaa and several other provinces in September 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.
The latest appointments reflect efforts by Yemen’s internationally recognised authorities to strengthen provincial administration and military leadership as fighting continues.