Russia Calls on Warring Factions in Yemen to Refrain From Violence

Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations said that Moscow is urging all the sides to the ongoing conflict in Yemen to refrain from violence and continue political dialogue.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — Moscow is urging all the sides to the ongoing conflict in Yemen to refrain from violence and continue political dialogue, Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations has said.

On Sunday evening the UN Security Council unanimously agreed to a resolution demanding that the Houthi rebels withdraw from Yemen's capital Sanaa, release the country's former leaders from house arrest and re-engage in the UN-led peace talks.

“It is obvious that unilateral and, especially military actions are counterproductive in the context of continuation of the political process and aggravate the crisis [in Yemen] even more… Such manifestations must be avoided. The resolution clearly demands this,” Safronkov said addressing the Security Council after the resolution of Yemen has been adopted.

Power in Yemen is currently in the hands of the Ansar Allah Houthi rebel group. On February, 6 Houthis dissolved the Yemeni parliament and created a presidential council in a "constitutional declaration."

On Saturday, the Gulf Cooperation Council’s member states have discussed the situation in Yemen at an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh and have called on the United Nations Security Council to pass a Chapter 7 resolution which authorizes the use of military force or the imposition of economic sanctions for the purposes of crises deescalation.