UNSC backs Hadi as Yemeni president

The UN Security Council has given unanimous backing to Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi as “the legitimate president of Yemen” and reaffirmed its strong commitment to the country’s unity, AP reported yesterday.

In a statement, the council called for the Houthis to engage in dialogue with the other parties in Yemen.

Yemen has plunged into a deep crisis that threatens to split the nation as Hadi fled from the presidential palace in Sanaa to Aden, after being held under house arrest by the Houthis.

Last month Hadi handed in his resignation to parliament after Houthis took control of key government institutions; however he has since retracted it.

Before the UNSC voiced out its support of Hadi, a number of representatives Gulf states visited Hadi in Aden and announced their countries’ support for him.

The UNSC’s statement called for all parties, especially the Houthis, to resolve differences through dialogue, reject violence, and refrain from provocations and actions that undermine Yemen’s transition to democracy.