Saudi Arabia, the United Araab Emirates, and the internationally-recognized Yemeni government urged the United Nations Security Council to pressure Houthis to uphold their commitments to the UN-brokered Stockholm peace agreement and UNSC resolution 2451.
The three also condemned the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ continued violations of the ceasefire deal and the lack of compliance with the UN monitor team sent to organize the implementation of redeployment in the key port city of Hodeidah—withdrawing armed forces from the Red Sea ports in Hodeidah was among the list of stipulations mandated by the Stockholm agreement signed last December.
In a joint letter by permanent representatives to the UN--Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah bin Yahya Almualimi, UAE’s Lana Nusseibeh, and Yemen’s Abdullah al-Sa'adi—delivered to SC President François Delattre, each of the three countries condemned Houthis for continued intransigence and lack of cooperation on peace efforts.
“Last week’s sudden and unexplained refusal by the Houthis to withdraw from the ports of Saleef and Ras Eisa comes as no surprise after months of stalling tactics from their side,” said the letter signed by the three UN ambassadors.
According to the letter, Saudi-led Arab coalition countries accused the Houthis of refusing to withdraw from two smaller ports of Salif and Ras Issa as stipulated in the agreement, and of reinforcing their military positions in civilian areas of Hodeida, including by constructing trenches and barriers.
They said their discipline and restraint “has not been reciprocated by the Houthis.”
Welcoming the “progress” made by UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths on "negotiating the redeployment in Hodeidah, the exchange of prisoners, and the Joint Council of Taiz,” the ambassadors stressed that the Arab Coalition was steadfast in its support of the Stockholm Agreement, noting that progress achieved on redeployment since the cease-fire in Hodeidah went into effect on December 18 was “the result of the political leadership of the Yemeni government and the strict implementation of the rules of engagement of military leaders of the coalition.”
When asked over the willingness of UN Chief António Guterres’s willingness to point out the reasons behind the delay in implementation of the Stockholm Agreements in his upcoming report, UN Secretary-General Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stressed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Griffiths has been saving no effort in trying to persuade warring parties to fully implement the agreement.
