UN must intervene to protect Yemenis

As Al Houthis have tried to scuttle peace initiatives, it is time to prioritise the people’s interests

emen’s rebels and their allies on Thursday formed a 10-member “governing council” to run the conflictplagued Arab country, effectively ending the United Nations-brokered peace talks with the government and clearly signalling their desire to prolong the conflict that has left thousands of Yemenis dead and millions under the threat of famine. The move, condemned by the UN envoy, the Yemeni government and the Arab coalition that supports the legitimate government of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, is a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2216, which is the basis of the peace talks, hosted by Kuwait.

The resolution calls for the restoration of the internationallyrecognised government, deposed by Al Houthis and their allies — supporters of deposed leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, in the September 2014 takeover of the capital Sana’a, and disarming the militias and their withdrawal from the cities they occupied since. “The rebels have successfully convinced the world that they are against peace and are responsible for the failure of the talks,” Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdul Malek Al Mikhlafi said.

Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said the setting up of a governing council is “a desperate attempt” by Al Houthis who again prove that they are not interested in peace. “Al Houthis, who represent less than 1 per cent of the population, have become addicted to power and wealth and the new political council comes in that context,” he noted. The UN envoy, Esmail Ould Shaikh Ahmad, warned earlier this month that at least 20 million Yemenis are under the threat of famine. Al Houthis clearly don’t care. They consistently tried to obstruct the peace talks, showing no regard at all to the lives of Yemenis. And now, they have made it clear that they care less about the UN resolutions despite the repeated goodwill gestures by the Yemeni government and the Arab coalition, which ceased all military operations and began sending aid convoys in the hope that the Kuwait talks would result in the restoration of stability and security to the conflict-ridden country.

Now the ball is in the court of the UN Security Council, which must intervene to protect the Yemeni people from the actions of power-hungry, ruthless militias, supported by Iran, and enforce its own resolution, 2216, which represents real hope for the Yemeni people who have suffered for so long under the tyranny of Saleh and Al Houthis.