Humanitarian truce planned in Yemen
Al Mekhlafi hopes a 72-humanitarian ceasefire would take place early next week
Mekhlafi hopes 72-hour ceasefire would take effect ‘early next week’ to allow food to enter Taiz, which is under an unjust siege by rebels |
Yemen plans to complain to the United Nations Security Council over what it says are Iran’s weapons transfers to Al Houthi militia fighting the internationally recognised Yemeni government, the foreign minister said on Saturday.
In an interview with Reuters, Abdul Malek Al Mekhlafi also said he hoped a 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire would take effect “early next week”.
Yemen and Saudi Arabia — which intervened in the country in March 2015 to prevent Al Houthis and forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh from taking over — blame Iran for supplying weapons to the Al Houthis. “There are new weapons coming from Iran,” Al Mekhlafi said in New York where he was attending the annual UN gathering of world leaders.
“It is impossible to hide that weapons-smuggling is still taking place from Iran. Some of these weapons have been found on the Saudi-Yemeni border and they are Iranian weapons,” he said.
Al Mekhlafi said his government was in the process of filing a complaint to the Security Council, with evidence including documents and pictures.
UN-sponsored talks to try to end 18 months of fighting that has killed at least 10,000 people collapsed last month.
The foreign minister said President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi met with US and UN officials last week and had agreed in principle to a 72-hour ceasefire.
“He [Hadi] asked that the
ceasefire be taken advantage of by lifting the unjust siege of Taiz and for food to enter simultaneously,” Al Mekhlafi said, referring to a city in the country’s highlands. The government was waiting for the UN envoy to speak with the Al Houthi side to secure those guarantees, he added.
Central bank governor
Asked about international criticism over the civilian casualties caused by the Saudi-led coalition, Al Mekhlafi said the issue was politicised and exaggerated.
“We do not say that there are no victims in this war. This is a war ... There are many victims and there are mistakes and this is normal,” he said, adding that less attention was given to attacks against civilians by the Al Houthi side.
Saudi Arabia has said it is committed to international humanitarian law.
Al Mekhlafi defended the Yemeni president’s move to appoint a new central bank governor and move the bank’s headquarters to Aden, where Hadi’s government is based. “This was a necessary step,” he said.