The UN special envoy for Yemen said on Monday he was encouraged by the intensification of regional and international diplomatic activity to end the eight-year conflict in the country. He urged the warring parties to work towards “a shared vision” with concrete steps to restore peace in the Arab world’s poorest nation.
Hans Grundberg expressed his appreciation for the diplomatic efforts of Saudi Arabia and Oman, telling the UN Security Council: “We are witnessing a possible sea change in the trajectory of this eight-year conflict.”
He said these ongoing efforts must not go to waste, and that calls for “responsible action” by Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthi rebels.
While regional and international support “is crucial” during the negotiations and implementation of a peace agreement, Grundberg said that many issues on the table, especially those related to sovereignty, can only be resolved through talks between the parties to the agreement. conflict.
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Yemen’s devastating conflict began in 2014, when Iranian-backed Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen and forced the government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition, which included the United Arab Emirates, intervened in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognized government to power.
A UN-backed truce initially took effect in April 2022 and raised hopes of a longer lull in fighting, but it ended on October 2 after just six months.
This is a locator map of Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. The UN is encouraged by the steps that have been taken to end the war in Yemen.
(AP Photo)
Grundberg told the council that despite the end of the truce, “the general military situation in Yemen has remained stable” with no major escalation or changes to the front lines despite limited military activity, especially in the Marib provinces. , Taiz, Dali, Hodeida and Lahj.
This has opened a window for inter-Yemeni talks, but he stressed that “discussions about the way forward in the short term are framed in the context of a more comprehensive solution that outlines a clear path towards a sustainable political settlement.”
“Without an agreement that includes a shared vision of the way forward, a state of uncertainty will persist, and with it an increasing risk of military escalation and a return to full-blown conflict,” Grundberg warned.
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Grundberg addressed the council via video link from Sanaa, where he said he had “positive and constructive discussions” with the Houthi leadership represented by Mehdi Meshat. In recent weeks, he said he also had “fruitful talks” with Rashad al-Alimi, the head of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, and regional parties in the Saudi capital Riyadh and Oman’s capital Muscat.
The UN envoy said he urged the parties to “make full use of the space for dialogue provided by the absence of large-scale fighting” and “to work quickly towards a shared vision with concrete and achievable steps.”
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths, a former UN envoy to Yemen, echoed Grundberg, saying the new year “brings a genuine opportunity to move the political process forward.”
“The international community, and more importantly, the parties to the conflict, must not let this opportunity go to waste,” he said.
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But Griffiths said he fears 2023 will be “another extremely difficult year” with an estimated 21.6 million Yemenis in need of humanitarian assistance “as the country’s economy continues to weaken and basic services hang by an ever thinner thread. “.
He called on the international community to support the UN humanitarian appeal and redouble efforts to boost Yemen’s economy.
