Gambian govt supports extension of UN truce in Yemen‏‏

English version

اليمن العربي

أنا

The government of Gambia is seriously concerned with the protracted war in Yemen، particularly the activities of the Houthi militia and its proxies who continue to wage terror in Yemen and Saudi Arabia، destabilizing the region.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Gambia، “these acts of terrorism by the Houthi militia pose serious threats to the civilian population in both countries as well as the vital infrastructure in the Kingdom، thereby disrupting supplies in the global energy market.

“The government of Gambia، in support of all the peace efforts of Saudi Arabia، welcomed the Gulf Cooperation Council initiatives that convened a Yemen dialogue which led to the formation of a National Unity Government as a peaceful resolution of this conflict.”

As a further boost to the initiative، the UN special envoy to Yemen brokered a ceasefire on April 2 to end hostilities. The Houthi militia are، however، still more than determined to undermine these meaningful diplomatic efforts.

“The government of Gambia، therefore، in vehement condemnation of this negative response by the Houthi militia، calls upon the international community to condemn their reluctance for a second time since Aug. 2 to extend the ceasefire and calls upon the Houthis to renew the truce، which is an opportunity for peace in Yemen.”

The Gambian government also continues to stand by and commend Saudi Arabia in its legitimate struggle to usher in durable peace and legitimacy in Yemen that would guarantee stability in the region.

The UN-brokered truce، which expired on Oct. 2، had not been extended by the Iran-backed Houthi militia. The last six months have seen the longest sustained period with minimal fighting in Yemen for eight years، resulting in a significant drop in civilian deaths.

During the truce، which came into effect on April 2 and was twice renewed، thousands of people have been able to fly from Sanaa airport، and more than 50 fuel ships have entered the port of Hodeidah، ending severe fuel shortages in Houthi-controlled areas.

 

Heavy clashes between Houthi rebel troops and Yemen’s pro-government forces have killed at least 8 people، a security official confirmed Friday. The fresh round of violence comes amid heightened tensions following last week’s failure to extend a cease-fire between the warring sides.

The official said exchanges of fire broke out late Thursday night in the contested western area of Yafa، killing four troops from either side and injuring five others. Local witnesses said both Houthi troops and forces under the Southern Transitional Council، which is backed by the United Arab Emirates and is a major pillar of the Saudi coalition fighting in Yemen، deployed machine guns and mortars during the clashes.

Yemen’s conflict began in 2014 when Iranian-backed Houthi forces seized the capital of Sanaa. In response، a Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognized government to power.

The failure to extend the nationwide truce last Sunday has threatened to reignite the bloody war after a six-month cessation in frontline fighting. The Houthis blamed the dead-ended negotiations on the U.N.، which has facilitated the cease-fire talks، while the U.S. envoy to Yemen accused the rebel group of derailing the talks through last-minute demands.

As Sunday’s deadline for a renewed agreement passed، both sides reportedly deployed reinforcements to the frontline cities of Marib and Taiz and exchanged gunfire in the western governorate of Al Dhalea. Neither of these reports post-cease-fire could be immediately confirmed by The Associated Press.

Houthi forces and the Southern Transitional Council sides have both blamed each other for sparking Thursday’s violence، officials said. Both the officials and the witnesses spoke with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to brief the media.

The U.N.-backed truce took effect in April and had originally established the partial opening of the capital’s airport and the Red Sea port of Hodeida، as well as the lifting of the Houthi blockade on the country’s third-largest city، Taiz. However، disagreements over the opening and control of Taiz’s key entry roads meant the city has remained under a Houthi-imposed siege.

The Yemeni war has killed in excess of 150،000 people according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. The fighting has turned Yemen into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises، pushing the Middle East’s poorest nation into near famine.