- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Yemeni FM: Houthis Refused to Withdraw From Al Hudaydah Despite Ceasefire

© REUTERS / Abduljabbar Zeyad/File PhotoA soldier walks at Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen May 10, 2017
A soldier walks at Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen May 10, 2017 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
The Yemeni government has provided two ceasefires to the United Nations for the withdrawal of Houthi rebels from the Al Hudaydah port, however, the militants have turned down the initiative, Yemen’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mansour Bajash said Thursday.

"The government has announced two ceasefires in order to give the UN initiative and the UN special envoy’s efforts the opportunity to achieve results and guarantee the withdrawal of the rebels from the city and the port, but the militants refused to respond to it and turned down the initiative," Bajash said, as quoted by the SABA news agency.

A flame from a Saudi Aramco (the national oil company) oil installation known as Pump 3 burns brightly during sunset in the Saudi Arabian desert near the oil-rich area Al-Khurais, 160 kms east of the capital Riyadh - Sputnik International
Houthis Claim Drone Attack on Saudi Aramco Refinery in Riyadh
In late June, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths announced his plans to launch talks with the conflicting parties within several weeks. The UN official held negotiations with Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and the leadership of the Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement with both parties having expressed their readiness to return to the negotiating table.

The military operation of the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition in Al Hudaydah was launched last month.

The offensive was criticized by the international community as an aggravation of the already dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Al Hudaydah accepts some 80 percent of all aid and commercial deliveries to the crisis-torn country

A photo distributed by the Houthi Military Media Unit shows the launch by Houthi forces of a ballistic missile aimed at Saudi Arabia March 25, 2018 - Sputnik International
Saudi Air Defense Destroys Missile Fired by Houthis From Yemen – Reports
Media reported in late June that the Houthis were willing to hand control over the Yemeni port to the United Nations in order to ease tensions.

However, the rebel movement told Sputnik on June 26 that the issue of control over Al Hudaydah did not fall under the responsibilities of the United Nations, since the latter’s primary goal was to observe the situation.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала