UN evacuates wounded Al Houthis to Oman
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Move marks key step in beginning the stalled peace talks
Sweden talks 'critical opportunity' for Yemen peace: UAE
Abu Dhabi: Proposed UN-led talks in Sweden present a "critical opportunity" to bring peace to war-torn Yemen, a top official from the United Arab Emirates which is part of the pro-government coalition, said Tuesday.
"Evacuating wounded Al Houthi fighters from Sanaa once again demonstrates the Yemeni government & the Arab coalition's support for peace," said the UAE's state minister for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, in a tweet, after 50 wounded rebels were sent Monday to neutral Oman to be treated.
"We believe Sweden offers a critical opportunity to successfully engage in a political solution for Yemen."
Evacuating wounded Houthi fighters from Sana once again demonstrates the Yemeni Government & the Arab Coalition’s support for peace. We believe Sweden offers a critical opportunity to successfully engage in a political solution for Yemen.
Sana’a: Wounded Al Houthi rebels were flown out of the Yemeni capital Sana’a on Monday for medical treatment, a critical step towards bringing warring parties to planned UN-brokered negotiations in Sweden.
The UN-chartered flight had taken off at 6pm (1500 GMT) for Oman carrying 50 wounded rebels, their escorts and a team of doctors, a security source at Sana’a International Airport told AFP.
The United Nations’ envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, meanwhile landed in Sana’a on a separate plane to meet the Iran-backed militants, who have been locked in a four-year conflict with a Saudi-led military coalition.
A UN source confirmed wounded rebels had been evacuated from the Yemeni capital in what was a “confidence-building measure” aimed at pushing ahead with negotiations between the Al Houthis and the coalition this month.
The evacuation marks a key step in kickstarting stalled negotiations as world powers press for an end to the devastating conflict that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.
Saudi Arabia and its allies, who back Yemen’s internationally-recognised President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, had agreed to allow for the evacuation of 50 wounded combatants, 50 escorts and a team of Yemeni and UN doctors to the Omani capital early yesterday morning. The fate of wounded rebels had been a stumbling block to the start of a previous round of aborted peace talks in Geneva in September.
The rebels had said they would attend the talks in Sweden if they were guaranteed safe passage.
Journalists were banned from Sana’a International Airport in the hours leading up to the departure of the UN flight on Monday.
Earlier in the day, wounded rebels were transported across the capital, controlled by the militants since 2014, in ambulances as they made their way to the long-defunct airport. The proposed UN-brokered peace talks have been backed by both the rebels and the government and were expected to take place in Sweden this week.
Al Houthis have said they would head to Sweden once the wounded were evacuated and if their delegation’s plane was not inspected by the coalition.
The group has agreed to travel on a plane provided by Kuwait, a source familiar with the talks said. The Saudi-backed government has said it would follow Al Houthis for the consultations, the first since 2016, which are also due to focus on a transitional governing body. “If the parties actually turn up in Sweden ... that in itself must be considered progress, even if there are no concrete outcomes,” said Elisabeth Kendall, a senior research fellow in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Oxford University.
“Neither side wishes to be blamed for the dire consequences of the looming famine, which is starting to become a reality,” she said. “But it remains to be seen whether the political will is really there to make the necessary concessions for peace.”
Starvation
Some 8.4 million Yemenis are facing starvation, although the United Nations has warned that will likely rise to 14 million. Three-quarters of impoverished Yemen’s population, or 22 million people, require aid. Yemen’s internationally recognised government blames Al Houthis for the humanitarian crisis, accusing the group of hijacking critical aid meant for civilians in order to sustain its war efforts.
Iran also has been proven to be illegally smuggling in weapons to Al Houthis through its ports. The government and Arab coalition have taken control of all of the countries ports except Hodeida, the country’s largest on the Red Sea.
The alliance intervened in the war in 2015 to restore the internationally recognised government of Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi. Griffiths hopes to reach a deal on reopening Sana’a airport and securing a prisoner swap and a ceasefire in Hodeida as a foundation for a wider truce, including a halt to coalition air strikes and Al Houthi missile attacks on Saudi cities.
The group had agreed to hand over management of Hodeida port, the entry point for most of Yemen’s commercial imports and vital aid supplies, to the United Nations but both sides are at odds over who should control the Red Sea city.
The coalition, which has previously called on the Al Houthis to entirely quit Hodeida, last month renewed an offensive on the city to weaken the movement by severing their main supply line. Fighting has abated amid renewed UN peace efforts and as aid groups warn that a full-scale assault may trigger a famine.
A British push for the UN Security Council to take action on the humanitarian crisis has slowed because several member states are wary of impeding the peace talks.
A rare chance for peace in Yemen
Success of UN-backed talks in Sweden depends on the sincerity of Al Houthis
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It has become difficult to determine the outcome of the ongoing crisis in Yemen, but I, among many others, am optimistic.
There are many indications that seem to signal the desire of some foreign powers for the crisis to continue, so that the catastrophic bloodshed, famine and spread of diseases can go on, along with the displacement of children from hundreds of schools that were shut down by the rebel militias. This will set the Yemenis back by decades, if not more.
A modern civil state, behaving in a civilised manner, is not only a good thing, it is also a necessity. It places Yemen, represented by its legitimate government, in direct contrast to the thuggish behaviour of the Houthi militias.
Pertinently, responding to proposals made by the United Nations just for the sake of appearing civilised is akin to deceiving the world. It sometimes makes it difficult for observers to understand what is really happening behind the scenes. Observers are excused in this scenario if they were to form a certain impression. The UN’s resolutions and proposals, however, do not always side with the interests of those in the right during times of conflict or war. In this case, it is the Yemeni people, who are defending the collapse of their state and its institutions. In this case, it is the Yemeni people, who are defending their state and its institutions. Their capability in facing the militias, rebelling against the internationally recognised legitimate government, is there for all to see.
There are several examples one can site, but a prominent one would be the several resolutions issued by the UN, regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. How many of those resolutions benefited the Palestinians, whose rights have been violated during the past 70 years?
The decision to halt combat operations for two weeks in Yemen is meant to lay the groundwork for peace talks in Sweden between all Yemeni parties. The legitimate Yemeni government’s response and approval for the peace talks was a source of happiness for the Al Houthi militias, who were militarily defeated. There is no doubt that there is a huge difference between those who are fighting for Yemen and its people and their future, and others like Al Houthis who are embracing clerical beliefs that call for vengeance against the state and its people.
The latest talks are considered to be the most peaceful method for ending the crisis and bloodshed. These talks are the result of immense pressure applied by the international community. There is not a lot of optimism surrounding these talks, considering that this is not the first time that negotiations were held between the Yemeni government and the rebels. Previous attempts have resulted in resounding failure. This is also not the first time when the rebels have set preconditions to ensure that the negotiation process fails before it even begins.
Moreover, many UN envoys have failed to resolve the Yemen problem. The efforts of current UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, were also thwarted during the last round of talks in Switzerland. The delegation from Al Houthi militia actually failed to show up for the talks, even after they promised Griffith that they would attend.
Instead of focusing on the fate of Hodeidah and its ports, Griffiths should have touched on key issues, such as the Yemeni crisis and smuggling of weapons and drugs. He should also have confirmed with the militias on whether their decisions are their own or that of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Encircling Iran with the help of the United States and intensifying strikes by the Yemeni army and the Coalition against Al Houthis in Yemen will be the decisive factor in the Yemeni crisis. It will weaken the rebels on different levels, and only after that can actual negotiations actually take place.
Observers are wondering whether the talks in Sweden will be serious or merely a vacation for those participating. The common perception seems to indicate that the negotiations are merely an opportunity to temporarily stop the war and catch a breath, rather than put an end to the crisis. If that is true, then it would be unfortunate. As for Mr Griffiths, one hopes his efforts do not come to a naught. Many political analysts are presuming that the talks in Sweden will bear fruit, but they warn that failing to reach a resolution will be different to previous failures, because sooner or later, the Yemeni legitimate government and the Coalition may not grant Al Houthis any more excuses or chances.
Mohammad Hassan Al Harbi is a renowned columnist and author whose writings cover various fields ranging from media studies to education.
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