Regional threats: Arab states agree on joint military force

Arab League chief says Yemen offensive will continue until Houthis surrender

SHARM EL-SHEIKH: Several Arab countries agreed on Sunday to form a joint military force against perceived regional threats such as the growing influence of Iran and the rise of violent extremists.

Arab representatives will meet over the next month to study the proposal and present the findings to their respective defence ministers within four months, according to a resolution adopted at the 26 Arab Summit in Egypt which was dominated by discussions on the Saudi-led offensive in Yemen and the threat of extremism.

“Assuming the great responsibility imposed by the great challenges facing our Arab nations and threatening our capabilities, the Arab leaders have decided to agree on the principle of a joint Arab military force,” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi announced on the summit’s last day, in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.



Arab League chief Nabil al Arabi said the decision was aimed at fighting jihadis, who have overrun large swathes of Iraq and Syria and also secured a foothold in Libya. “The region is threatened by a destructive force, which has endangered ethnic and religious diversity,” he told the meeting in an apparent reference to the ultra-orthodox militant outfit, the Islamic State.

Egypt had pushed for the creation of the rapid response force to fight militants, and the matter gained urgency this week after Saudi Arabia and its allies launched airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Arabi, reading a statement at the summit’s conclusion, said the offensive would continue until the Houthis withdrew and surrendered their weapons. Several Arab states, including Egypt, are taking part in the military campaign in Yemen.

However, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the leaders to find a peaceful resolution to Yemen. “It is my fervent hope that at this Arab League summit, leaders will lay down clear guidelines to peacefully resolve the crisis in Yemen,” he said.



James Dorsey, a Middle East analyst with the Singapore-based S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said that despite support for a joint Arab force it would take months to create and then operate on an ad-hoc basis. “I don’t think we will get an integrated command anytime soon, as no Arab leader would cede control of any part of their army.”

In a recent interview, Egyptian President al Sisi said the proposal for a joint force was welcomed especially by Jordan, which might contribute troops alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2015.