اضغط هنا لقراءة الخبر بالعربية
The UN Secretary-General has stated he fully trusts his Yemen Envoy Martin Griffiths, said UN spokesman Friday, in reply to a letter sent by the Yemeni President AbdRabbu Mansour Hadi who had put conditions to keep dealing with the envoy.
Antonio Guterres said the United Nations commitment to Stockholm Agreement stems from a deep desire to alleviate Yemeni people sufferings and help solve the humanitarian crisis, Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
The UN chief promised Hadi that his envoy would double efforts helping Yemeni rivals (the internationally-recognized government and Houthi group) to meet their commitments declared in Stockholm and to reach political sustainable solution for the conflict, the spokesman added.
Yemen has been racked by a 4-year bloody conflictbetween the internationally-recognized Yemeni government's forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who ousted the government in 2014.
The UN has so far failed to find a solution for Yemen conflict that has triggered what it calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with most of the population in need for a type of humanitarian aid and immediate protection, including 14 million people risking famine and some 1.8 million children suffering malnutrition.
Parties to the, after 8-day peace talks in Sweden, reached on the 13th of last December an agreement providing for ceasefire in Hodeida and redeployment of both sides' forces, exchanging prisoners and alleviating blockade imposed by Houthis on Taiz.
But none of this has taken place so far, with both sides trading blames for trying to thwart the deal.
Hadi Letter and Conditions
Earlier on Friday, President Hadi sent an official letter to Guterres talking about unprecedented, unacceptable desecrations committed by Griffiths, whom the Yemeni government accused of siding with Houthis following his latest briefing to the UNSC.
Hadi asked the UN chief for sufficient guarantees thatthose violationswould be reviewed and not repeated, as they put chances of solution sought by Yemeni people in jeopardy of collapse.
Under deals reached in Sweden, "the Iranian-backed Houthi militias may never maintain control over Hodeida and its ports, or keep assaulting our people and neighboring countries under direct instructions from Tehran," Hadi said in his letter. Griffiths should "abide by the three references."
The British UN envoy "insists to deal with Houthis as a de facto government and make them equal to the legitimate government."
Hadi cited the UN envoy's latest briefing as a "symbol for shameful the violation against the mandate given to Griffiths."
The "Griffiths-Houthi deal of handing the ports over, without supervision from the legitimate government, violates Sweden pact in terms of redeployment in Hodeida."
The UN envoy has forgotten "all flexibility and concessions made the Yemeni government to help Sweden deals succeed, and sought to provide guarantees for Houthi militias to stay in Hodeida under UN umbrella."
The UN envoy is unaware of the Yemeni conflict's nature, Yemeni president said, mainly the "Houthi ideology rejecting the principle of democracy and peaceful succession of power.. And this [ignorance] makes Griffiths unable to deal with the Yemeni issue" as required.
Officials at the Yemeni government have increasingly criticized the UN envoy for partiality and unfairness, after the Houthi "fake withdrawal" from Hodeida three ports.
Houthi Comment on Hadi Letter
Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, member of Houthi Supreme Political Council dubbed Hadi letter as "desperate attempt to hinder peace and reject known provisions of Sweden pact."
On 13 May, Houthis said their forces had completed first phase of one-sided redeployment out of the ports of Salif, Ras Isa and Hodeida, under supervision by UN three teams, in application of the UN-brokered peace deal.
Officials at the Yemeni government, however, labeled the Houthi move as "misleading and farce".
In his briefing to the UN Security Council, Griffiths said last Wednesday Yemen is still at crossroads between war and peace, despite the progress made in the last days, after Houthi forces had redeployed from the ports of Hodeida ports. While ceasefire remains standing in Hodeida, there is worrying escalation of conflict in many aspects.
Change in Hodeida is now a reality, and there are signs of new start in Hodeida, he said. "Between 11 and 14 May, Ansar Allah had undertaken initial redeployment from the three ports under UN monitoring," and Houthi forces "had left those three ports."
The Red Sea city of Hodeida and its ports have been under Houthi control since late 2014, while Yemeni joint forces loyal to legitimate government and Arab coalition have massed at the city's fringes since last November seeking to retake the strategic port.
