Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak has slammed the UN-brokered truce with the Houthis which has been renewed for the third time, saying that it is “fragile” and “lacks guarantees”.
This fragility, he told CNN Arabic while on a visit to Amman, is due to alleged “major violations” committed by the Houthis.
“There are no monitoring mechanisms or implementation guarantees,” said the minister. He noted that the Houthis did not reopen Sanaa Airport or the governorate crossings; did not de-escalate tension; and did not allow the entry of oil derivatives on the previous occasions that the truce was renewed.
Bin Mubarak added that the truce is based only on the commitment of the legitimate government to its terms and the pressure of the international community on the Houthis. “This truce comes within the framework of what is known as a confidence-building measure, which we have been working towards since the Geneva peace talks in 2015.”
Nevertheless, he pointed out that it offers “a space of hope that must be exploited.” He ended by referring to communication with the UN on key issues and priorities that can be achieved before the truce extension expires.
READ: Yemen’s Houthis must act on Taiz to show commitment to truce, minister says