He stresses that this extension will allow “building confidence” and paving the way for a ceasefire
July 22 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has called on the parties to the conflict to “extend and expand” the truce reached in early April, which will expire on August 2, amid criticism from the Houthis and the lack of of progress in the talks on the application of other points of the agreement.
“An extended and expanded truce will increase the benefits for the Yemeni people,” he said, before adding that “it will also provide a platform to build more trust between the parties and start serious discussions on economic priorities, particularly income and wages, as well as on security priorities, including a ceasefire.
Thus, he explained that “the ultimate goal is to advance towards a political agreement that puts an end to the conflict”, while defending that the truce has been maintained “to a large extent” to date, so these close four months are the longest period of calm in the more than seven years of war.
However, the Houthis and the international coalition led by Saudi Arabia have exchanged accusations about violations of the truce on various front lines, for which Grundberg has stressed that “the parties have obligations under humanitarian law to protect civilians.”
“I take reports of increased military clashes very seriously, especially when they involve civilian casualties. My office is working through the Military Coordination Committee to facilitate dialogue and support de-escalation,” he said.
“I hope that the parties will continue their work under the committee and establish a joint coordination room to deal with incidents properly,” Grundberg said.
The parties have not reached an agreement on the reopening of roads in Yemen, especially in the province of Taiz, with the refusal of the Houthis to accept the latest UN proposal, which was approved by the internationally recognized authorities.
Despite this, the parties have announced their intention to reopen some roads unilaterally, although Grundberg has said that “unilateral actions by themselves are not sufficient to guarantee the safe and sustainable passage of civilians” across the lines. head on.
“The parties need to negotiate, coordinate and communicate. I will not stop my efforts to bring the parties closer to reaching an agreement to safely and sustainably reopen key roads in Taiz and other provinces. This will remain a priority for this period of truce and any extension thereof,” he pointed out.
The parties also agreed that two commercial flights a week from Sana’a to Jordan and Egypt would be allowed during the truce, bringing the total to 32 during this period. To date, 20 round-trip flights have taken place, while the possibility of opening connections with other countries as part of an extension of the truce is being analyzed.
Grundberg has also argued that it is “more important than ever to guarantee a flow of fuel to support essential services”, after the agreement within the framework of the truce to authorize the arrival of 36 oil tankers at the port of Hodeida (west).
“A renewal of the truce would allow the regular entry of ships with fuel,” he said, before emphasizing that “moving away from seven years of war to go towards a state of relative calm will not be a process without challenges” and acknowledging some problems when it comes to “fully applying the elements of the truce”.
“The truce has brought about a transformation for Yemen. It has made a tangible difference to people’s lives. The Yemeni people and the international community want and expect the truce to be fully implemented, renewed and strengthened,” said Grundberg, who has asked the parties to take a “constructive” stance and “recognize the benefits that an extended and expanded truce would entail.”
The Houthis’ Supreme Political Council said last week that it rejected any pact stemming from US President Joe Biden’s visit to the region and criticized his talks with Riyadh about the possible extension of the truce, which he described as an experience “disappointing” that “cannot be repeated in the future”, as reported by the Yemeni news agency SABA.
“We have presented many initiatives and concessions to alleviate the suffering and encourage the coalition of aggression to participate in peace, without results. The aggressor countries stick to the blockade and prevent the flow of ships to the port of Hodeida and, while opening their airspace to the Israeli enemy, insist without justification and arbitrarily to close Yemeni airspace and ports, in a war crime before the entire international community, which is an accomplice of the enemy,” he denounced.
The parties to the conflict agreed in early June to extend the truce announced in April for another two months, coinciding with the start of the month of Ramadan. The war in Yemen pits the internationally recognized government, now represented by the Presidential Leadership Council and supported by the aforementioned international coalition, against the Huthis, backed by Iran. The Houthis control the capital, Sana’a, and parts of the north and west of the country.
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