The Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights activist, Tawakkol Karman, was critical of Yemen’s new prime minister, Maeen Abdul-Malik, accusing him of providing Saudi Arabia the legitimacy to fragmentize the country.

In a post on her Facebook page, Karman addressed the new Yemeni prime minister, telling him that the only solution for him to prove that he is not a mere puppet of the Saudi ambassador is to withdraw militia weapons, unify all forces under the leadership of the Ministry of Defense while security forces under the leadership of the Ministry of Interior, extend actual authority over the coasts, islands, airports, and ports, export oil and gas freely and pay employees' salaries on a regular basis.

On the other hand, however, she doubted that the Yemeni government headed by Maeen Abdel-Malik would be able to do so because she sees the government is merely “a secretarial of the Saudi ambassador.”

She indicated that preventing the Minister of Defense from returning to Aden is sufficient evidence of the new government's impotence and weakness.