[17/11/2018 12:43]

NY-SABA
The Yemeni government has renewed its support for the efforts of the UN peace mediator Martin Griffiths to organize a new round of peace talks between the government and the Houthis in the hopes that coupist militia will show up for the talks this time.

A previous round Griffiths organized for September 6 collapsed after the delegation of the Iran-backed militia did not show up in Geneva, the host city.

Reading his country’s statement in the UN Security Council’s session on the Middle East situation, Yemen’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, said that a real just inclusive and sustainable solution should be based on the three agreed terms of reference; the Gulf Initiative and its implementation mechanism, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference and the UNSC resolutions mainly resolution no. 2216. It should lead to ending the coup, restoring the hijacked state institutions, the handover of heavy and medium arms to the armed forces, the only entity authorized to possess arms.

He said the government support any proposed round of talks in the hope the Houthis will show up and with a serious intent to consider the package of trust building measures proposed by Griffiths and which includes swap of detainees.

He said that President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government try to avail themselves of any opportunity for peace with a serious intent, a patriotic sense and on broad hopes.

Therefore they are ready consider all positive proposals for trust building, in the lead-up to a reaching final settlement that lifts the national suffering, helps set up a strong federal Yemen apart from the Iranian influence.

He said the government and the UN peace mediator’s office have come closer to reaching agreement on a prisoner swap deal whereby the government will even exchange Houthi POWs for persons in the custody of Houthis on grounds not even related to the war.

He welcomed the Riyadh meeting of 14 November that vowed to further address the economic and humanitarian situation in Yemen including to pay salaries to all servicemen. He also thanked the Arab Coalition countries mainly Saudi Arabia for its donation of direly needed fuel grants, financial bailouts and support to Yemen in fighting money laundering.

He said the militia have been committing appalling atrocities including the sniping of women and children continuously, besieging the city of Taiz for three years and shooting civilians there, abducting of peaceful activists and torturing them in jail, planting millions of landmines and recruiting thousands of child soldiers.

He said that Yemen does not wait for more condemnations of these atrocities from the UN Security Council. But wants the council to enforce its old resolutions.

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