July 17th is commemorated not merely as a date in national memory, but as the day Yemen recalibrated its course, embarking on the journey of building a modern state after years of political turmoil, division, and conflict that threatened its very existence. On this day in 1978, national leader President Ali Abdullah Saleh assumed command of the country during one of the Republic's most challenging periods, marked by political assassinations, institutional collapse, internal divisions, and regional and international tensions that jeopardized Yemen's future and unity. The advent of July 17th heralded a new era focused on state-building, consolidating institutions, upholding the rule of law, and re-establishing the concept of the Republic. The path was arduous and fraught with challenges and dangers, yet the leadership successfully guided Yemen from crisis management to stability-building, shaping a national project that served for decades as a unifying framework for Yemenis of all affiliations. Over thirty-three years, Yemen witnessed significant transformations across various sectors. The network of roads, airports, and ports expanded, with electricity, telecommunications, and education services reaching vast areas. The oil and gas sector saw its actual launch, the Marib Dam was rebuilt, and investments and development aid flowed in, while the state solidified its presence in all governorates. Politically, Yemen experienced a pluralistic and democratic experiment, among the most prominent in the region, through parliamentary, presidential, and local elections, the existence of partisan and independent press, and a political life characterized by peaceful competition, despite accompanying challenges. Externally, Yemen pursued a balanced policy that preserved the independence of its national decision-making and fostered balanced relations with its Arab, regional, and international surroundings, without compromising its national and pan-Arab principles. The most significant achievement of that era remains the realization of Yemeni unity on May 22, 1990, considered the greatest national project in modern Yemeni history. This event ended decades of division and laid the foundations for a unified Yemeni state, fulfilling a long-held aspiration of successive generations. However, the state-building project was not immune to targeting. In subsequent years, it faced escalating political, security, and media pressures that weakened state institutions and plunged the country into a vortex of conflict and division. With the dismantling of many pillars of the state, the Houthi militia found an opportunity to seize and overthrow its institutions in September 2014, ushering Yemen into one of its most tragic periods, marked by war, division, economic collapse, and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Today, years after the conflict, the comparison between the past and the present is clearer than ever. The state that possessed effective institutions, a unified army, and sovereignty over its decisions has transformed into a reality burdened by division, multiple authorities, declining services, and ongoing war. The commemoration of July 17th is not merely an occasion to celebrate the past but an opportunity to recall the value of the national state and the importance of preserving its institutions. It reminds Yemenis that nations are not built on slogans but on institutions, stability, and national partnership, and that Yemen's recovery begins with the restoration of its state, sovereignty, unity, and its comprehensive national project, which for many years was synonymous with stability and development. |
