Yemen president expressed reservations about the new ideas of the UN envoy

English version

اليمن العربي

Yemen president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi has expressed reservations about fresh ideas presented by UN envoy to Yemen aimed at reaching a deal between his government and Iran-backed Al Houthi militants that would end more than two-year old conflict, Gulf News reported

In the past, Hadi strongly opposed a draft of the UN peace deal that suggested he passes his presidential powers to a new vice-president in exchange for ending the Al Houthi coup

Under the modified version of the peace plan, Okaz said, Hadi would maintain his powers, but the powerful vice-president, Ali Mohsen Al Ahmar, would be dismissed and warring factions would agree on a consensual prime minister

Finally, Al Houthis would hand over their arms to neutral army brigades in Hadramout that were not involved in the current war

Analysts doubt Hadi will agree on sidelining General Al Ahmar due to his key role in the successful army push outside Sana’a

Al Ahmar enjoys strong relations with powerful tribes in Yemen

The Saudi daily Okaz reported on Monday that Hadi told UN envoy Esmail Ould Shaikh Ahmad at a meeting in Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday that his government would positively comply with his diplomatic efforts, but asked for some time to discuss some of his ideas that “do not comply with” the three references of peace talks; outcomes of National Dialogue Conference, GCC peace initiative and UN Security Council resolution 2216

Quoting a presidential source, the newspaper said the internationally-recognised president proposed that the Al Houthi movement first execute the UN resolution that obliges Al Houthis to disarm, leave cities which are under their control and allow government to return to Sana’a before discussing any political arrangements

As Ould Shaikh Ahmad steps up his efforts to strike a deal, a top aide to Hadi said that the war would continue until Al Houthis and their ally, ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, abide by the previous agreements and UN Security Council resolutions

Abdul Aziz Al Maflahi, an adviser to Hadi, told the Saudi Al Sharq Al Awsat daily that Al Houthis are not serious about a peaceful settlement of the problem. “They have backtracked on many previous agreements,” he said