US urges UN to hold off on Yemen resolution

UNITED NATIONS, United States: The United States on Tuesday told the UN Security Council that a draft resolution demanding a truce in Yemen should be put on hold until peace talks are held in Sweden in early December.

Britain presented the measure last week as the United Nations stepped up its diplomatic efforts to hold talks on ending the war in Yemen.

UN envoy Martin Griffiths is hoping to bring the Saudibacked government and the Huthi rebels to Sweden for negotiations that could begin as early as December 3, according to UN diplomats.

During UN negotiations on the British-drafted text, the US mission to the United Nations said ‘it will be important to take into account the results of the imminent talks in Stockholm which will be a key inflection point in the political process,’ according to an email message seen by AFP.

“We look forward to offering more substantive comments to the draft once we have more information on the outcomes of the upcoming consultations,” said the US mission in the message sent on Tuesday to other council members.

The proposed resolution — the first to be discussed by the council on Yemen since 2015 — would significantly ratchet up pressure on the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-aligned Huthis to seek a negotiated settlement.

The draft resolution calls for an immediate truce in the port city of Hodeida, the main entry point for humanitarian aid and supplies to Yemen, and sets a twoweek deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid.

Negotiations on the draft began last week and no vote has been scheduled at the Security Council. — AFP