Senegal pledges more than 2,000 troops for Saudi-led Yemen campaign

DAKAR, Senegal, May 5 (UPI) -- Senegal will send up to 2,100 troops in support of the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen, according to the country's foreign minister.

The BBC quoted Mankeur Ndiaye as saying the troops would be utilized in defense of Saudi Arabia's border with Yemen, where Shia-linked Houthi rebels seized large portions of the country earlier this year and forced President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi to flee.

Since then, a Saudi-led coalition of mostly Sunni Muslim nations has committed to a bombing campaign to dislodge the Houthis, which Iran has been accused of supporting, and restore Hadi.

Senegal joins Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan and Sudan in the campaign, which is supplemented by logistical support from the United Kingdom, France and the United States.

The West African nation is predominantly Sunni Muslim and has received aid money from Saudi Arabia, but the decision is not without opposition. The BBC quoted Senegalese politician Modou Diagne as saying, "Saudi Arabia isn't threatened and neither are Islam's holy sites," and that "There is nothing to justify a military intervention by Senegal."

Initially known as "Operation Decisive Storm," the campaign began in late March after the Houthis took Yemen's capital of Aden, forcing President Hadi to hole up in the coastal city of Sanaa before eventually fleeing for Saudi Arabia.

Saudi authorities last month announced the end of Decisive Storm, saying it had achieved its desired effect of destroying "heavy weapons and ballistic missiles seized by the Houthi militias."

Officials then announced the beginning of "Operation Restore Hope," which would focus on a political solution in Yemen and counterterrorism security in Saudi Arabia.

However, hours after the announcement -- and in the time since -- the Saudi-led coalition re-commenced air attacks on Houthi positions as the rebels engage in ground fighting with Hadi's allies.

The United Nations estimates 1,200 Yemenis have been killed and up to 300,000 displaced in the past six weeks.