Houthis hampering peace efforts in Yemen

Noura Bendari

The Iran-backed Houthi militia works hard to foil attempts to bring peace and stability back to Yemen.

On April 8, the Saudi-led Arab coalition declared a ceasefire for two weeks to open the door for an appropriate response to the coronavirus.

Nevertheless, the Houthis made the ceasefire conditional on a number of demands that stoke the tension in Yemen.

The ceasefire initiative came in response to a proposed meeting between the legitimate Yemeni government and the Houthi militia by United Nations Envoy to Yemen Martim Griffiths, Arab Coalition Spokesman, Col. Turki al-Maliki said.

The meeting, he added, would have discussed a proposal for a permanent ceasefire, de-escalation and a resumption of the political process between parties to the conflict in Yemen, he added.

Meanwhile, the head of the so-called the Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mohamed al-Houthi, posted what he described as “Document for a Comprehensive Solution,” where his group suggests a blueprint for ending the war in Yemen.

In the document, al-Houthi outlines his group’s vision for ending the war and addressing the economic consequences of this war.

He suggests conducting negotiations on the document which is no more than a list of conditions by the Iran-backed group.

In the document, the Houthis demand a full withdrawal of coalition troops from all parts of Yemen and a full ceasefire.

They ask the coalition to compensate those affected by the war financially and reconstruct Yemen. The Iran-backed militia also demands the formation of a working group to fight the coronavirus in Yemen and provide the country with all its medical needs.

The group also calls for launching a new round of talks on a political settlement for the conflict in Yemen, without interference by any state.

Rejection

Yemeni activists reacted angrily to the document. Some of these activists described the document as nothing more than an initiative by the Muslim Brotherhood.

The document shows that the Houthis do not want peace in Yemen, Yemeni journalist Ahmed al-Sabahi said.

They only want the war to continue, he wrote on Twitter.