As a result of the Saudi air force crossing into Yemeni airspace forty-eight hours ago to launch a raid on separatist rebels in the north of the country (the Houthis), the international community should be quite alarmed..
Beyond an extension of an ongoing border dispute between Riyadh and San'a, the latest attack potentially represents an escalation in the splintering of Yemen.
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To the South, Al-Qaida still remains a presence and can threaten the stability of the fragile government at any time with coordinated terrorist attacks. To the North, a Shia minority population, the Houthis, has resorted to accepting arms from Shia Iran to carve out an area of autonomy within Yemen.
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As Iran continues to fuel the rebellion, Saudi Arabia has become more assertive in its policing of its northern border with Yemen. Ultimately, Riyadh and San'a will need to coordinate their efforts to prevent the increasingly audacious leaders in Tehran from attempting to expand their influence in the Gulf of Aden.
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If the government in Yemen falls, a proxy war could materialize between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and that would be catastrophic for the already crisis-laden Horn of Africa.
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J Roquen