Yemen Peace on the Horizon, Warring Parties Agree to Ceasefire
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Sulaiman
- . December 24, 2023
- . Update: December 24, 2023 11:29 am
After nearly a decade of an endless war, Yemen is now headed to peace with the warring parties agreeing to a ceasefire.
Hans Grundberg, UN Special Envoy for Yemen, said this is the latest step to end the war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions, and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The UN began back-channel talks in April 2022 and now its bearing fruit.
Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis have been in conflict since March 2015, when the kingdom led a coalition of mainly Gulf Arab states to oust the Houthis, who had toppled Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
Yemen Headed for Peace
An official statement by Grundberg’s office says the breakthrough comes after a series of meetings between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Iran-aligned Houthis in Saudi Arabia and Oman. The UN special envoy welcomes the parties’ commitment to a set of measures to implement a nationwide ceasefire, improve living conditions in Yemen, and engage in preparations for the resumption of an inclusive political process.
“Grundberg will engage with the parties to establish a roadmap under UN auspices that includes these commitments and supports their implementation. The plan, along with a ceasefire, will also include the two sides’ commitment to resume oil exports, pay all public sector salaries, open roads in Taiz and other parts of Yemen, and further ease restrictions on Sanaa Airport and the Hodeidah port.”
The UN special envoy added that Yemenis are watching and waiting for this new opportunity to provide for tangible results and progress towards lasting peace. “The parties have taken a significant step. Their commitments are, first and foremost, an obligation to the Yemeni people.”
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Yemen and the Red Sea
However, the conflict in the Red Sea and US-led maritime coalition is endangering the fragile peace in Yemen. There are fears that Houthis’ attacks on Israel-flagged ships in the Red Sea will have consequences on the Yemeni people.
Ali al-Dhahab, a Yemeni political and military analyst, said the international maritime coalition in the Red Sea will not be idle. “The coalition will respond to the source of fire. Any armed conflict between the Houthis and international forces would impede the peace process in Yemen.”
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Defense Minister Major General Mohammad al-Atifi warned the US-led coalition Yemen is capable of countering any threats against its sovereignty. “We possess the means to neutralize your warships, submarines and aircraft carriers. The Yemeni Armed Forces are ready to transform the Red Sea into a graveyard for the US-led coalition should they take aggressive measures against Yemen.”
