Yemen: UNSC statement governed by financial considerations
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Amid calls for the immediate release of the Emirati ship Rawabi, the Deputy FM in the Sanaa government says his country's sovereignty is above all.
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The Emirati ship Rawabi
Today, Saturday, Deputy Foreign Minister in the Sanaa government, Hussein Al-Ezzi, confirmed that the Emirati ship Rawabi belongs to a country that is participating in "the aggression against our people and in a state of war with us," explaining that it "entered our territorial waters in violation of the law."
Commenting on the UN Security Council statement, Al-Ezzi said the ship "was not loaded with dates or toys for children but was rather with weapons to support extremist groups that threaten civilians."
He pointed out that the Security Council's statement "is governed by financial considerations and has nothing to do with laws, morals, or the safety of navigation and the security of ships," adding, "It is unfortunate that the Security Council's role has become to mislead public opinion and stand in solidarity with killers and violators of laws at such an extremely shameful level."
Al-Ezzi stressed that "the naval forces had the legal right to target the enemy ship Rawabi, but they did not do so," noting that "it is very important to respect the sovereignty of great Yemen and the sanctity of its territorial waters."
UN Security Council votes to release the Emirati ship
Yesterday, Friday, the UN Security Council called, in a unanimously adopted statement, for the "immediate release of the Emirati ship", which was seized by Yemeni forces in early January, and "its crew", according to diplomatic sources.
The statement added that the 15 council members demanded “all parties to resolve this issue quickly” and stressed “the importance of freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea under international law.”
After its statement, the Council urged "all parties to stop the escalation of the situation in Yemen and to cooperate constructively with the United Nations Special Envoy for the resumption of the inclusive political talks."
Following the confiscation of Rawabi, Saudi Arabia and the UAE denounced the act of "piracy" against a "civilian" ship, according to their claim.
