A Russian Gulf consensus to take a "firm stand" against the behavior of the Houthi militia
English - Thursday 13 July 2023 الساعة 10:02 am
Sana'a, NewsYemen, exclusive:
The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Russian Federation called on the United Nations "and all countries" to "take a firm stand" against the practices of the Houthis - Iran's arm in Yemen, which contradict international efforts to end the war and establish peace.
The final statement issued by the sixth joint ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and the Russian Federation, on Monday, stated that the ministers praised the mediation efforts made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman towards a political settlement in Yemen. They affirmed their support for the Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen headed by His Excellency President Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, expressing their hope to reach a political solution in accordance with the Gulf initiative and its implementation mechanism and the outputs of the Yemeni National Dialogue Conference and Security Council Resolution No. 2216.
The ministers called on all Yemeni parties to immediately start direct negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations, to abide by the continuation of the armistice, and to support the relief, humanitarian and development needs of the Yemeni people.
This meeting coincided with a session of the UN Security Council on Yemen, where the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, delivered his July briefing to the Council.
Grundberg warned of the consequences of the provocative escalation practiced by the Houthi militia militarily and economically, identifying three basic elements to move towards the desired political settlement in Yemen.
The first of these elements is the immediate cessation of military provocations and an agreement between the parties on a comprehensive and sustainable nationwide ceasefire and preparation for it, describing the discussions that his office had with representatives of the legitimate government in the Military Coordination Committee regarding the protection of civilians as constructive.
The second element is the immediate reduction of economic escalation, addressing short- and long-term economic priorities, ensuring regular payment of public sector salaries nationwide, reversing hostile economic policies that would deepen division and further fragment the country, and strengthening economic and other links between Yemenis. In various regions of the country, including opening roads and building on previous efforts to expand the availability of flights to and from Sana'a Airport, including domestic flights.
As for the third element, it is "making progress on agreeing on a clear path to resume the political process among Yemenis under the auspices of the United Nations," calling for the need for this process to begin urgently in order to consolidate the gains made since the armistice and prevent further fragmentation.
These three elements refer to the behavior of the Houthi militia in military escalation, mobilization to the fronts, and launching drone attacks on the liberated areas. They also refer to the hostile economic policies of the Houthi militia since late last year, as confirmed by field facts and events, and the statements of the militia leaders themselves.
Grundberg also referred to the militia's mortar attack last week on Hays district, south of Hodeidah, which injured five children. "I join the United Nations Mission in Support of the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) in condemning this incident, and I call on all parties to fulfill their obligations under international law and to prevent and end violations against children," he said.
