Coalition rejects biased UN report
OFFICIALS STEP UP DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO BOOST CHANCES OF SUCCESS FOR TALKS
Experts’ panel did not mention Iran’s role in the continuation of the war... and its continued support for Al Houthi militia, it said |
The Saudi-led coalition battling in Yemen yesterday dismissed as inaccurate a report by UN investigators that highlighted possible war crimes in the conflict-torn country including air strikes by the alliance.
“We affirm the inaccuracies in the report and its non-neutrality,” the coalition said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency.
“The report did not mention Iran’s role in the continuation of the war... and its continued support for the [Al] Houthi” militias.
The coalition added that it would later provide a “comprehensive and detailed legal response” to the report.
In their first report released on Tuesday, a team of UNmandated investigators said all parties in Yemen’s bloody conflict have committed a “substantial number of violations of international humanitarian law”. Many of these violations may amount to “war crimes”, the report said.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s internationally recognised government has stepped up its diplomatic efforts to shore up chances for success of UN peace talks due early next month amid mounting fears that Iran-allied Al Houthis are bent on derailing the latest bid to end the conflict.
After a flurry of recent meetings with Yemen’s warring sides, UN envoy Martin Griffiths has announced a new round of talks in Geneva on September 6 in an attempt to restart the long-stalled peace process. The new talks come amid military escalation in Yemen where government forces, backed by an Arab coalition, have made territorial advances against Al Houthis in recent months.
Yemeni Foreign Minister Khalid Al Yamani conveyed to a number of regional and Western ambassadors his government’s concerns about Al Houthis’ attempts to torpedo the Geneva talks after several militia leaders downplayed the importance of the upcoming round, Saudi newspaper Asharq Al Awsat reported yesterday.
Days ago, head of the militias’ ruling council Mahdi Al Mashat said his group does not hold much hope for the Geneva consultations and called for recruiting more fighters to the Al Houthis, who staged a coup against the Yemeni government in late 2014.
The Geneva gathering was at the centre of talks this week between Minister Al Yamani and US ambassador to Yemen Matthew Tueller.
During the meeting, Al Yamani stressed the importance of continued backing for the UN envoy’s efforts and making use of the Geneva consultations in order to agree on confidence-building measures, including the exchange of prisoners being held by the warring sides and secured aid deliveries, Yemen’s state news agency Saba reported.
Militia commanders killed
The US diplomat reassured the Yemeni official about Washington’s backing for efforts conducive for a political solution to Yemen’s conflict, Saba added. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led Arab Coalition Forces have targeted a meeting of Al Houthi commanders in Beit Al Faqih, Hodeidah, killing scores of coup perpetrators.