At dawn today, Friday, Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar, the most prominent tribal leader in Yemen, and the sheikh of the sheikhs of the Hashid tribe, the largest of the Yemeni tribes, died at the age of 67, in the Jordanian capital, Amman, where he was receiving treatment.

Al-Ahmar's family mourned his death due to his suffering from the disease that forced him to leave the capital, Sana'a, which is under the control of the Houthi group, in early August. Since then, he has been in the Hussein Cancer Center receiving treatment until his death.

Al-Ahmar inherited the leadership of the Hashid tribe, after the pledge of allegiance was held in 2008 in the city of Khamer in Amran Governorate, north of Sana’a, to succeed his father Abdullah bin Hussein al-Ahmar, who died at the end of 2007, who was also one of the most prominent Yemeni figures who influenced the political scene since the revolution. And the declaration of the republican system in 1962.

A prominent tribal role

Al-Ahmar was the eldest son of his father, and after receiving basic education in Egypt and Yemen, he chose to accompany the father in the manner of the firstborn sons of tribal leaders in Yemen, and during that period he influenced the tribesmen in the most important articulated events of the seventies and eighties of the last century.

According to his biography on his father's website, Al-Ahmar's abilities appeared in dealing with many tribal issues, and he also understood a lot about the customs and customs of "Hashed" and other Yemeni tribes that he used to frequent and deal with.

Al-Ahmar's most prominent role was when he led, along with other tribesmen, what was then called the "People's Army" in central Yemen in 1981 and 1982 to confront the National Front supported by the socialist regime that ruled southern Yemen.

After that, he went to the United States to study civil aviation, where he stayed for 4 years and obtained a certificate in the field of piloting small civil aircraft, to return to Yemen in 1987.

Less political role

Unlike his father, Al-Ahmar did not have a political presence despite being elected by his tribe as a member of the Shura Council between 1988 and 1993 before winning a seat in the House of Representatives until 2003, to be appointed again by a Republican decision in the Shura Council.

The weak political presence of Al-Ahmar - which is what happened with his brothers - is due to the overwhelming political presence of his father, who founded the Islah Party in Yemen after the approval of political pluralism in the country following the unification of north and south Yemen in 1990, and he also presided over the House of Representatives from 1993 until his death.

Al-Ahmar's most prominent political presence is recorded when he emerged on the political front after announcing his support for the popular uprising against the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2011, before events developed into limited confrontations in the same year between the tribesmen he leads and the security forces in the vicinity of his house in the Hasaba neighborhood of Sana'a.

The final scene

The Houthis targeted the homes of Beit Al-Ahmar in Amran Governorate, in the north of the country, until they reached the main family home, and the stronghold of Beit Al-Ahmar.

Despite this, Al-Ahmar refused to leave the city despite the threats and harassment of the Houthis, which were launched by taking control of the tribe's property, and chasing others, and from that time he only appeared on limited occasions, such as commemorating the death of his father.

#President_Al-Mashat offers condolences on the death of Sheikh Sadiq Al-Ahmar

[14 Jumada al-Akhira 1444 AH] Sana’a - Sheba:

His Excellency Field Marshal Mahdi Al-Mashat, Chairman of the Supreme Political Council, sent a telegram of condolence and sympathy to Sheikh Himyar Abdullah Al-Ahmar, on the death of Sheikh Sadiq Abdullah Al-Ahmar.

The president expressed his sincerity https://t.co/hkiAvv1D6a pic.twitter.com/GF3kTAqa0o

- Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Yemen (@Presidency_Ye) January 6, 2023

"Hashed" future

It is customary in Yemen for the members of the tribe, after the death of its sheikh, to appoint one of his relatives, specifically his eldest son, and then the next, but the influence that the Houthi group has had on the tribal structure and hierarchy of its leadership, customs and traditions, and the change of loyalties of its notables, as happened in the Hashid tribe in particular, made it The continuation of this tribal custom in the well-known form is difficult and the focus of attention of the Houthis and their ambitions to dismantle the tribe and target its leaders.

According to a source close to the family who spoke to Al-Jazeera Net, the chieftain of the tribe will move to the next son of Sheikh Abdullah, Himyar al-Ahmar, who is still staying in Sana'a and has not left despite the Houthis' control over it in September 2014.

Clarification: It is not true that Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar is loyal to the aggression. He left Sana’a for treatment in Jordan with the approval of the Sana’a authorities after his health deteriorated as a result of cancer and he died in it. He and his brother Himyar refused all offers to leave Sana’a, and his body will be shared and buried in Sana’a, not from us. Who gloats at death

- Tariq Salam (@Tariq__Salam) January 6, 2023

Yemeni researcher Adel Dashila says that "Hashed" is going through a stage of weakness like the rest of Yemeni society due to the continuation of the war, and the future of this tribe depends on political developments, but he expects that "Hashed" will remain coherent as a result of social and traditional ties and the cultural heritage of tribal customs and customs.

And he adds to Al-Jazeera Net that "Hashed" will seek to elect a successor from Sheikh Abdullah's children in order to maintain its political presence with the rest of the tribes that are still a factor of balance between society and the state, and have effective political and societal roles.