UN proposal to extend truce does not establish peace in Yemen: Sanaa

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen Net
2 Oct 2022 18:17
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The Supreme Political Council of Yemen affirms that it will take the necessary measures to preserve the supreme national interest and the sacrifices of the Yemeni people.

The old city of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa (Archive)

The Supreme Political Council of Yemen, headed by Mahdi Al-Mashat, met Sunday to discuss the latest developments regarding the ongoing negotiations on the armistice.

The Council stressed not to allow the armistice to turn into a goal knowing that it was just a means to reach a final agreement, denouncing the reluctance of the United Nations and its submission of a proposal that does not meet the demands of the Yemeni people and does not lay any foundation for the peace process.

The Council affirmed that it will take the necessary measures to preserve the supreme national interest and the sacrifices of the Yemeni people who will not be deceived by false promises, underscoring that they can extract their rights that are being looted by the aggression and its mercenaries.

The Supreme Political Council called for vigilance and full readiness to deal with any situation as a result of the obstructions practiced by the coalition of aggression, holding it accountable for both disrupting the peace process and rejecting the legitimate rights of the steadfast Yemeni people against all conspiracies.

We harnessed capabilities to be at forefront of confrontation

In the same context, the Minister of Defense in the Sanaa government, Mohammad Nasser Al-Atifi, considered that the lands, waters, seas, and resources of the Republic of Yemen are the basis of sovereignty, adding that the Yemeni armed forces are committed to protecting them.

Al-Atifi stressed that we will spare no effort in possessing capabilities, resources, and methods in order to protect Yemen's sovereignty, calling on the Yemeni armed forces to exercise more vigilance and to always be ready to defend the nation.

Saudi aggression responsible for impasse: Sanaa

It is noteworthy that on Saturday, the Sanaa negotiating delegation pointed out that "its acceptance of the first and second extensions of the armistice was in the hope that there would be the slightest sense of responsibility or understanding on the part of the countries of the Saudi-led coalition of aggression and their mercenaries."

"During the six months of the armistice, we did not see any seriousness in prioritizing the humanitarian issue, and since the start of the truce, despite delays, we were keen on not missing any opportunity that could lead to peace," the delegation indicated in a statement.

The Sanaa negotiating delegation held the Saudi-led coalition of aggression "responsible for the negotiations reaching a dead end due to their intransigence."

"After the coalition of aggression played all its cards, it had no other choice but to target the livelihood of the Yemeni people, as it is the easiest way to bring the people to their knees," the statement considered.

The delegation stressed in its statement that after the member states of the Saudi-led coalition lost all their bets, their only weapon has become putting pressure on the economy and maintaining the siege on Yemen.

"The countries of aggression do not desire peace as much as they want to keep their lands away from the repercussions of the war and direct targeting," the statement added. The delegation "had no special agenda other than the interest of the Yemeni people and the human and legal rights of the citizens of Yemen."

We restrained ourselves against the coalition's violations

"We exercised restraint in light of the other party's breaches of the armistice to give more time to deliberations and international efforts," the delegation's statement read.

"The National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs participated in intensive meetings with the United Nations in accordance with a previous agreement stipulating the release of select prisoners. However, the delegation was surprised by their sole focus on the release of Saudi prisoners and some leaders without caring about the rest of the prisoners. This was a violation of the agreement's stipulations," the statement explained.

In the same context, the head of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, Mahdi Al-Mashat, affirmed Wednesday during a meeting with UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg that "the payment of salaries to all public sector employees is essential for the continuation of the armistice" and warned that Yemen would not agree to an extension in the event that such demand is not met.

He went on to say that "if Yemenis accept the armistice in its current form, that will mean accepting the continuation of aggression and blockade on our dear Yemeni people."

This came after Grundberg arrived in Yemen to discuss the extension of the truce with the Supreme Political Council leadership.

It is noteworthy that on August 2, Grundberg said the warring parties agreed on extending the truce for an extra two months per the same conditions with the aim of maintaining negotiations and reaching a comprehensive truce as soon as possible.

The truce in effect in Yemen since last April 2, which was also extended on June 2 and then on August 2, stipulates the suspension of military offensives by land, sea, and air in Yemen and across its borders, in addition to facilitating the entry of ships carrying fuel to Al-Hudaydah ports in western Yemen.