Houthi Yemen’s rebel group, which has been fighting a Saudi-led military coalition since March 2015, has rejected Riyadh’s latest stopover campaign, calling for the full embargo to be lifted at an airport. Sanaa and the port of Hodeidah.
The Iranian-linked group controls large parts of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the port of Hodeidah – considered a lifeline for millions of war-torn Yemenis. six-year victory.
Rights groups have criticized Saudi Arabia’s navy and air blockade of Yemen saying it has exacerbated the humanitarian situation in Yemen where 80 percent of the population still lives on foreign aid.
The proposal, announced by Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, involves the resumption of political talks between the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi with the support of Saudi Arabia and the Houthis under the auspices of the United Nations .
It would also allow fuel and food to enter through the western port of Hodeidah – Yemen’s main port of entry, and the reopening of Houthi’s main airport in Sanaa.
The campaign came after the UN Security Council called on March 18 that all parties must work with the UN ambassador to Yemen, unconditionally, due to a ceasefire and political settlement.
Fight recently
Since the Saudi-Emirati-led coalition illegally entered Yemen in March 2015, tens of thousands of people have been killed and much of the poor country’s infrastructure has been destroyed.
The military intervention came after the Houthis overthrew the internationally recognized Hadi government in late 2014 and seized large areas of the country.
In the past few weeks, fighting has escalated in the northeastern Marib region as Houthis launched a campaign to capture the last major area controlled by Hadi loyalists. They have also been launching drone and missile attacks almost daily on the realm, infiltrating their multi-million-dollar power plants.
The Saudi coalition has since responded with airstrikes.
In the south, the Yemeni president shares control of Aden with southern separatists and local militias.
On Tuesday, eight Arab countries welcomed Saudi proposal but analysts are still not optimistic.
The Houthis, meanwhile, launched a drone attack at an airport in southern Saudi Arabia, the group’s military said Tuesday.
Here is a look at Saudi Arabia’s current campaign, as well as previous agreements between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia pro-government forces:
Responses to Saudi campaign
Houthi defender Mohammed Abdulsalam told Al Jazeera that the group is “ready to enter into political dialogue after Saudi Arabia stopped the war and lifted the siege”.
“Saudi Arabia needs to stop the attack and lift the ban altogether, but putting forward ideas that have been debated for more than a year is nothing new,” the pro said. Houthi Al Masirah TV.
Abdulsalam said the terms of the campaign were “nothing new” and had previously been discussed in talks with the DA’s ambassador to Yemen, Martin Griffiths.
“The Saudi proposal seems to duplicate the idea that it is the Houthis who need to make discounts here,” International Emergency Group analyst Peter Salisbury told AFP news agency. “That will not sit. well by negotiators in Sanaa. “
“Houthi ‘s response has been clear: they say that this is an old offer, and that they have been clear in their position – removing complete barriers to movement at Hodeidah and Sanaa airports. “
Casey Coombs, a researcher at the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, said Saudi Arabia is “designing itself as a peacekeeper”.
“With good knowledge of the Houthis, they will continue to fight for Marib and fire rockets in. [the kingdom], Saudi has promised that this move will portray Houthis as the invaders. “
Saudi ambassador to Yemen Muhammad bin Saeed al-Jaber told Al Jazeera that the campaign is the culmination of efforts by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the international community to find a political solution.
He emphasized the previous links with regional and international parties, and that he was in line with the recommendations of the UN and US delegates to Yemen.
Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak told Al Jazeera that there had been a major diplomatic effort before the launch of the campaign, of which the Yemeni government was “an essential part”.
Bin Mubarak also said Houthis’ response to the campaign was condescending and negative, adding that they had to interact positively with the campaign to end the war in Yemen.
Major attempts to stop in the past
Geneva Conversations 2015
There were no results in the first and second rounds of the Geneva talks, which took place in June and December with the support of the UN. Conversations went down in the second round after a pause from both sides.
April 2016
A ceasefire was shaken ahead of talks in Kuwait, which began on April 21.
The talks were based on UN Security Council Resolution 2216, which states that the Houthis must withdraw from captured areas and disarm before talks can proceed. However, on August 6, the talks ended after closing.
The main point to maintain is that the Houthis wanted to consider a political settlement before surrendering arms while the government delegation insisted that putting the. action of the resolution of the DA.
December 2018
In December 2018, the wartime sides signed the Swedish Stockholm Agreement, which included three main elements.
The agreement included a ceasefire on the face of Hodeidah and the repatriation of armed forces out of the city and ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa. It was not fully implemented but despite difficult times, the agreement reduced the situation to some extent.
Hodeidah, Yemen’s main point of entry for imports and commercial aid, has also been largely working, thanks to the Stockholm contract. Also called for a treaty made by the UN for a prisoner exchange between pro-government forces and Houthis.
And the third element of the deal was a statement on the status of a Yemeni city in Taiz. It involved the establishment of a joint committee from both sides of the conflict and Yemeni civil society to determine the working methods to run the strategic city.
However, that has not led to any real action on the ground. Another major downside in the Stockholm agreement is that it did not reach agreement on two other key issues: the reopening of Sanaa International Airport and the reunification of the Central Bank of Yemen, which split in September 2016.
April 2020
Saudi Arabia announced a 14-day ceasefire on April 9, which was welcomed by UN President Antonio Guterres as a way to promote peace and slow the progress of COVID-19.
The UN Special Envoy noted that the two-week ceasefire covered “all land, sea and air operations in Yemen”.
But respite has remained difficult despite a worsening coronavirus pandemic situation.
On Tuesday, Yemen’s coronavirus committee urged the government to declare a public health “state of emergency” after a surgeon in diseases in the war-torn country. Years of war have left the country’s weak health care system in ruins.
It has officially registered some 3,500 COVID-19 cases, and 771 people have died. But experts say the numbers could be much higher because tests are scarce.