Hadi: Houthis must abide by resolutions of international community

Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi stressed, Wednesday, the need for the Houthis to abide by the resolutions of international community as a way to any possible political settlement.

According to the governmental news agency SABA, the statement was made during President Hadi’s meeting with the envoy of the UN Secretary-General, Martin Griffith, in Aden, Yemen’s temporary capital (located in the south), in the presence of Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr.

The Yemeni leader insisted that any political settlement must be subjected to the resolutions of international legitimacy, particularly the arms embargo on the Houthis, declared by the UN Security Council Resolution 2216, the Gulf initiative and the outputs of the national dialogue.

Hadi called on the Houthis to comply with those resolutions, and lift the siege on Taiz and the cities under their control.

The Yemeni president renewed his government’s eagerness to end the war and reach peace, considering such aspiration as a goal to achieve and not just an idea for discussion. He said: “We will always be advocates of peace and harmony. This is our permanent choice, as we are fully aware of our national and humanitarian responsibilities towards our country and our people.”

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Hadi asserted that “the Battle of Al-Hudaydah is a part of our national struggle against the Houthi militias in Saada, Sana’a, Taiz and the other regions, and we will persist until we realize the people’s aspirations for peace.”

For his part, the UN envoy expressed his pleasure for his first visit to Aden and the positive impression he had on all levels. He asserted that the visit briefed him about the latest developments and the available prospects of peace.

He pointed out that his recent briefing to the UN Security Council included possible peace efforts in Yemen, stressing that he will continue his hard work in this regard with various parties through his upcoming meetings in the Omani capital Muscat and in Sana’a .

The UN envoy arrived in Aden earlier today, on a two-hour visit, before leaving later for Muscat.

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In related developments, Abdullah Al-Alimi, Director of the Office of the Yemeni Presidency, demanded the withdrawal and disarming of the Houthis in order to achieve peace in Yemen and resolve the crisis of Al-Hudaydah.

Al-Alimi tweeted that “the battle of Al-Hudaydah is part of our national combat with the Houthi militia. Any ideas should be consistent with the requirements of the UN Security Council Resolution 2216, including the Houthis’ disarming and withdrawal, in order to ensure the extension of state authority over all the national territory and governmental institutions.”

He added that “the province of Al-Hudaydah can be the locus of a possible solution,” in reference to the need for the withdrawal of the Houthis after surrendering their arms in exchange for the cessation of military operations there.

Since 13 June, Yemen’s government forces, backed by the Arab Coalition, have been carrying out a military operation to liberate Al-Hudaydah and its strategic harbour on the Red Sea from the Houthi rebels. As a result, the Yemeni State forces managed to take control of the airport in that area.

Last week, the UN envoy held talks with the Houthis in Sana’a in a bid to bring about a breakthrough in the three-year-old conflict that has killed about 10,000 people and triggered the world’s most dire humanitarian crisis.