Yemeni information Minister Moammar al-Eryani on Tuesday stressed that the key Red Sea port city of Hodeidah needs to return to government control, and the presence of paramilitary Houthi militias is inadmissible.
Eryani, in a tweet, said that Yemeni authorities welcomed the plan for Hodeidah proposed by UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths so long that it sticks to the three key references for peacemaking that encompass a total hand over of the port city to Yemen’s freely-elected government.
Political analysts believe, rushing in their efforts to achieve a settlement for the Yemeni crisis, Washington and London diplomats are relentless in their attempts to squeeze more concessions out of the Aden-based Hadi government, but backers of the constitutional establishment insist on the need to restore all Yemeni state institutions to central administrative governance.
Iran-allied Houthis militias, according to Hadi supporters, must be reined in by international pressure so that the war-torn country may kickstart the road to national recovery.
The legitimate Yemeni government, based in Aden and headed by President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, rejected on Monday any UN peace effort not based on the three references which are the national dialogue outcomes, the Gulf initiative and the UN Security Council resolution 2216.
UNSC resolution 2216 both sanctioned the Iran-backed Houthi leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, and called for the disarmament of all paramilitary factions. “The arms embargo against the spoilers of peace, including Houthi leaders, would send a strong signal that the use of violence in defiance of Council resolutions would not be tolerated,” said the 2015 resolution.
Apart from the three references, the Yemeni government reiterated its unlimited support to initiatives led by UN envoy Griffiths, especially on brokering peace with Houthi militias in upcoming talks to be held in Sweden.
After spending some two months of intensive shuttle diplomacy, Griffiths managed booking peace consultations for early December 2018, after the last Geneva-held round in September failed due to Iran-backed Houthi militias making made last-minute conditions.
Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Yamani also met Tuesday with US Ambassador Matthew Tueller.
Discussions between the two focused on underway efforts made by UN’s Griffiths for holding a round of new peace consultations, Yemeni state media reported.
Intent on ending the suffering of Yemenis and stopping bloodshed, Yamani stated that Hadi’s government positively responded to the call by the UN envoy and will be engaging in upcoming negotiations.
He, however, noted that government endeavors are challenged by the putschist militia's intransigence and persistent fighting. Tuller, for his part, reiterated the Trump administration's stance on supporting political settlement in Yemen under the three terms of reference.
