Houthi militia leaders in Yemen have criticized the recent visit paid by UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to the interim capital, Aden, and ruled out any imminent political solution in the war-torn country.
Mohammed Abdulsalam Falita, foreign minister of the Houthi-styled government in Sanaa, cast doubts over efforts spent by the UN envoy and labeled his visit to Aden as “empty.”
In a tweet, Falita said that Griffiths “is busy with formalities and empty visits” and continues to ignore demands for lifting air and land restrictions imposed by the Arab coalition. The restrictions are aimed at stemming the flow of Iranian weapons to the militias.
Last Thursday, Griffiths concluded a visit to Aden where he met with Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik and other cabinet members. He sought to convince the government to agree to his proposal for a joint declaration to reboot the peace process and negotiations with the Iran-backed Houthis.
Houthi leader and senior negotiator Abdulmalik al-Ajari ruled out reaching a UN-brokered solution for peace in Yemen, Houthi media reported.
Ajari accused the UN of falsely selling hope with its routine exertions and that his group does not expect reaching any deal.
He went on to say that reopening Sanaa’s airport and lifting restrictions off seaports are two main demands which Houthis prioritize over achieving a ceasefire.
Apart from alleging that the UN is conspiring against the Houthis, he said Griffiths has been given enough chances by his group and that the Houthis can’t go on participating in “pointless” discussions.
He also claimed the militias had provided facilitations to the UN in terms of agreeing to the arrival of a team of experts to assess and repair the derelict oil tanker FSO Safer.
“We have shown seriousness in dealing with Safer, but we notice procrastination by the other party and that they are no longer in a hurry,” Ajari said.
