Washington condemns dissolution of Yemeni parliament

The US State Department has condemned the dissolution of the Yemeni parliament by Houthi rebels. Nevertheless, said spokeswoman Marie Harf on Thursday, Washington will continue to work with the country’s counter-terrorism forces.

Describing the situation in Yemen as “very fluid”, Harf said that the US government has been “very clear” that any political solution to the current crisis must be based on the broad consensus of all Yemeni stakeholders. “There is a process under which you can change the government through the constitution,” she pointed out. “That obviously was not followed today.”

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council said it was “concerned” by the developments in Yemen. The current president of the council, China’s Ambassador Liu Jiey, declared the organisation’s “readiness” to take further steps if UN-led negotiations are not resumed immediately.

The UN also said that it is alarmed by what it called a power vacuum in Yemen. “The Secretary-General and all of those who are concerned with Yemen here are following the situation very closely,” said a spokesman. He added that UN special envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar is returning to the capital Sanaa because of the escalating crisis.