Dialogue the solution to Yemen crisis, New Zealand PM says
KEY TO DISCUSS SECURITY ISSUES DURING FIRST VISIT TO THE REGION SINCE TAKING OFFICE
Negotiations and diplomacy are the only way to resolve the crisis in Yemen, New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, told Gulf News yesterday.
Key, on his first visit to the region as prime minister, is leading a New Zealand government delegation to the UAE, Saudi Arabia — where he is expected to meet King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz — and Kuwait this week.
Key is accompanied by New Zealand’s Minister of Trade, Tim Groser, as well as executives from several key businesses. Regional security is expected to be a key issue that will come up for discussion during the visit.
“We understand why Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states took the action that they did. We also think very strongly that the legitimate government should be reinstalled and the way to achieve that is through negotiations and diplomacy,” Key said in an interview in Dubai.
Last month, the Saudi Arabialed Arab coalition — that includes the UAE — launched air strikes against the Iran-backed Al Houthi rebels in Yemen who have taken control of large parts of the country and ousted President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who is in exile in Saudi Arabia.
Despite being a small country in the Pacific Ocean with a population of about 4.5 million, New Zealand has an influential role as it is currently a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
“What we’re trying to do in the region is talk to all the leaders about regional security issues to get a perspective from them on how they think best to stabilise the region,” Key said
Iraq support
“We understand the actions they [Gulf states] are taking but, most importantly, what we will be encouraging everybody is to try and find ultimately a negotiated political way through [in Yemen],” he added.
New Zealand has also committed 143 military personnel, including at least 100 soldiers, to train the Iraqi Army in response to the growing threat of Daesh.
“Our position in terms of [Daesh], we are deeply disturbed by what we see and that’s why we have taken the step to send some of our troops to train Iraqi forces,” Key said.
“We don’t believe, in all good conscience, we can sit back and let [Daesh] conduct themselves the way that they are and the abuse of human rights and barbaric behaviour that we see from them and do nothing,” he added.
Key also said some of the 143 military personnel were currently in the UAE awaiting deployment to Iraq. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key officially opened the New Zealand Consulate General for Dubai and the Northern Emirates yesterday. The consulate in Emirates Towers in Dubai has been open for roughly 18 months. The government, however, waited until Prime Minister Key visited the country for the official opening.
Key is in the UAE this week leading a New Zealand government and business delegation. He will also lead the delegation to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Key said at the opening that the consulate signified New Zealand’s “commitment to the UAE” and gave the Pacific Ocean country the “right footprint” to expand trade relations.
The opening of the consulate was marked with a Haka, the traditional dance of New Zealand’s indigenous population known as Maoris, and a speech by Key.
New Zealand opened its embassy in Abu Dhabi three years ago, according to New Zealand Consul-General to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, Clayton Kimpton, who said Dubai is the “gateway to Africa”.
The Gulf Cooperation Council states are New Zealand’s fifth largest export destination.
Saudi-led aircraft pounded Iran-allied Al Houthi militiamen and rebel army units in central Yemen and the capital Sana’a yesterday, residents said, reporting that food and medical supplies were running low.
They said warplanes flew between 15 and 20 sorties against groups of Al Houthi militiamen and arms depots in the Al Dhalea provincial capital, Dhalea, and the nearby city of Qa’ataba, between dawn and 9am local time (0600 GMT), setting off a chain of explosions.
Dhalea residents said sounds of explosions could be heard for two hours after the strikes.
Saudi-led warplanes also struck the area around the presidential compound in Sana’a for a second day, while heavy street fighting was under way in the strategically important city of Taiz in central Yemen, according to residents and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).) There were no immediate reports on the extent of casualties.
Rising toll
A coalition of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia has carried out nearly five weeks of air strikes on Al Houthi militiamen and loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh who have together seized large parts of Yemen. Fighting has killed more than 1,000 people, including an estimated 551 civilians since the bombings started on March 26, the United Nations said on Friday. Its children’s agency Unicef said at least 115 children were among the dead.
Saudi Arabia says it was concerned over its own security after the Iran-backed Al Houthis began advancing across Yemen, on its southern border, in September, when the militia captured the capital.
Hadi, who fought Al Qaida when he had control of the country, says the terrorist group is as much a threat to Yemen as it had always been. The Al Houthi advance eventually forced Hadi into exile into Saudi Arabia, and Riyadh says it wants to restore Hadi and prevent Yemen disintegrating as a state, with Al Qaida terrorists thriving in the chaos and one of the world’s busiest oil shipping lanes off the Yemeni coast at risk.
Saudi Arabia last week announced a formal end to the nearly five-week-old campaign but said it would continue to target any attempt by the Al Houthis to advance further. The bombing eased initially but picked up intensity again since Sunday.
Fighting pitting the Al Houthis against tribesmen loyal to Hadi, with army units on both sides, has worsened the humanitarian situation.
Residents of the southern port city of Aden said bread was in short supply and a convoy of trucks carrying flour from the Red Sea port city of Hodeida was being prevented by the Al Houthis from entering the city.
Al Houthis also blocked a convoy of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) trucks carrying medical supplies to Aden, but contacts were under way to allow the supplies in.
“Our convoys were blocked from going to Aden and Marib over the weekend and we are in discussions with the Al Houthis to resolve that,” ICRC spokeswoman Sitara Jabeen said.
On Sunday, air strikes, naval shelling and ground fighting shook Yemen in some of the most widespread combat since the operations began last month. Residents said there were at least five air strikes on military positions and an area near the presidential palace compound in the Al Houthi-held capital Sana’a.
Tribesmen defend Taiz
Residents also said Saudiled warplanes pounded areas around the presidential compound in Sana’a for the second day, and launched at least five raids on areas under Al Houthi control in Marib and Al Jouf in northern Yemen.
Heavy clashes also continued in the strategically important central city of Taiz, where armed tribesmen and Islamist fighters have taken back several districts from the Al Houthis in heavy fighting, according to residents there. Residents said street battles were raging in the city of some three million, with both sides using tanks and artillery in residential areas.