Sanaa: 'No war, no peace' situation unacceptable, armed forces ready

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen Net
19 Dec 2022 21:54

Yemen's Supreme Political Council announces the full preparedness of the armed forces to confront any threats to Yemen's sovereignty.

'No war, no peace' will soon come to terms.

Yemen's Supreme Political Council warned on Monday of "the dangers of the ongoing 'no peace, no war' status that the US-led coalition strives to enforce on the Republic of Yemen," assuring that the situation will not last indefinitely.

"Yemen will take the appropriate measures when the time calls for [a defensive], so as to prevent the coalition's strategy" of locking the country in a perpetual state of 'no war, no peace'," the Council added.

The Council further said that "the armed forces are fully prepared to confront any threats to Yemen's sovereignty and any measures that would contribute to exacerbating the Yemeni people's suffering - whether on the economic, humanitarian, or military fronts."

Last week, the Minister of Defense in the Sanaa government Major General Muhammad Al-Atifi said that the "armed forces have taken the appropriate measures to ready against any potential threats that would challenge national and maritime sovereignty or pose a threat to the armed forces directly."

Earlier this month, the leader of the Ansar Allah movement Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi announced "the [armed forces'] readiness to confront enemies if they decided to escalate the situation," and further warned, "We will move in a way greater than all previous stages."

Separating humanitarian from the political and military matters

The Supreme Council emphasized that "Yemen's firm position towards achieving an honorable peace which protects Yemen's sovereignty, independence and unity remains open to all serious contributions."

"Keenness to achieve peace in Yemen must stem from achieving the rights of citizens, foremost of which is the payment of salaries to all state employees, the opening of all Yemeni airports and ports, and the lifting of all restrictions on imports, especially oil derivatives, foodstuffs, and medicine, through all ports and airports, including the port of Al-Hudaydah and Sanaa International Airport," it said.

The Council further called for "separating humanitarian matters from political and military matters. Progress in [humanitarian matters] is an indicator of credibility in the success of any mediations, contacts or talks."

The senior spokesperson added that the sacrifices of Yemeni people will not go in vain as the leadership bears the responsibility of alleviating the suffering of its people, "which demands preserving the country's wealth and capabilities and harnessing them for the benefit of society across the nation," stressing that "preventing the looting of Yemen's wealth is an inevitable decision."

Earlier today, a report issued by the foreign trade sector at the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Sanaa revealed that the total damages and losses suffered by Yemeni foreign trade amounted to $64.7 billion during the period from 2015 to the end of 2021.

According to the study, the losses included losses in oil and gas revenues, as well as losses in oil export revenues and losses in service export revenues.

Many Yemeni importers faced large losses as a consequence of their inability to transport and import items purchased from foreign companies, some of which were already prepared and ready for transportation in the respective countries' export ports.

On the other hand, some products reportedly approached Yemeni ports but were not permitted to enter and thus remained there for an extended period of time, subjecting Yemeni merchants to significant losses in the form of expenses and delay fees, as well as risking damage to some products given their sensitivity.

According to the report, the most significant challenges and hurdles to Yemeni international commerce include the persistent maritime and air embargo commissioned by the aggression coalition against Yemen.

These obstacles have resulted in international shipping companies' reluctance to export goods to Yemeni ports, high transportation and insurance costs for the goods, and a near-complete cessation of Yemen's foreign exchange revenues, as well as a decline in remittances from expatriates and financial transfers from abroad.