Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Monday (25/12) welcomed a new commitment by the warring parties in Yemen to take steps towards a ceasefire and engage in a UN-led peace process.
The commitment was announced by the UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, marking the latest attempt to end years of war. Hundreds of thousands of people have died, as direct victims of the war, as well as from indirect causes such as food shortages, in what the UN calls one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The poorest country on the Arabian peninsula has been gripped by war since 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels advanced and captured the capital, Sanaa. This situation prompted a military intervention led by Saudi Arabia a year later to support Yemen’s internationally recognized legitimate government.
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A UN-mediated ceasefire in April 2022 sharply reduced violence. The ceasefire ended in October last year, although fighting remained largely stagnant.
Saudi Arabia said in a statement that it welcomed Saturday’s UN announcement of a roadmap to support peace measures.
Arab Foreign Ministries urged the warring parties in Yemen to sit down at the negotiating table, to reach a comprehensive and lasting political solution under the auspices of the UN.
Oman, which is acting as a mediator in the conflict, also welcomed the developments, and said they hoped an agreement would be signed as soon as possible.
The United Arab Emirates, a member of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels, praised efforts to streamline agreements in the peace roadmap.
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Another Gulf Cooperation Council member, Qatar, thanked the UN, Saudi Arabia and Oman for the peace push and urged the warring parties to speed up a deal.
Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the announcement was a sign that the UN had now taken the lead in negotiating efforts, with support from Saudi Arabia and paved the way for the UN to negotiate a future political deal.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s warring parties remain at odds on a number of issues, including attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with war-torn Gaza.
In a statement on Monday, Yemen’s Saudi-backed government warned of the risks and domestic consequences of Houthi drone and missile attacks.
“These attacks will lead to an increase in food prices in a country suffering from a humanitarian crisis,” Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani tweeted on social media platform X. [ns/jm]
2023-12-25 22:10:21
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