[19/06/2017 12:14]

ADEN-SABA

The government of Yemen has welcomed the UNSC presidential resolution of 15 June 2017 and it sees in it a continuity of the UNSC's united stance toward the situations in Yemen, stemming from its relevant resolutions. Nevertheless, the government has comments about some critical points which still need further and continuous discussions to be clear on them.

In remarks to Saba, an official source in the Foreign Ministry said, "the UNSC statement is, in general, positive although it fulfills only the minimum requirements, of this stage, toward implementing the international resolutions, restoring peace and security to Yemen, ending the rebels'/coupers' ignited war, restoring the state and alleviating the Yemeni people's suffering."

The source affirmed the government's commitment to end the people's suffering and wretched humanitarian conditions caused by the Saleh-Houthi coup alliance.

The source added: "It had been expected by the Yemeni government that the presidential statement would come stronger worded (than it really came) with a view to leaving no room for the rebels to equivocally interpret it and circumvent their commitments toward the international community. Especially as they continue emboldened and dare to attack the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy".

The source renewed the government's welcoming of the UNSC's affirmation of the three basis for political settlement; the GCC Initiative the outcomes of the National Dialogue and the relevant UN resolutions primarily resolution 2216.

In regards to the UN envoy's proposal of an arrangement for the management of Hodeida seaport and city, transfer of revenues to the government and resumption of salary payments, to which all the government had agreed early on, the source renewed the government's welcoming and acceptance of the proposals.

The source said that the rebels' handover [or the lack thereof] of Hodeida will be a benchmark for rebuilding trust and launch of peaceful settlement and a gauge of how the international community, first, and the rebels, second, are serious about seeking peace and sparing the Yemeni people the continuity in line with the international resolutions.

The source said that things have now come to a level where one cannot be silent about them any longer. And the rebels have to be held to account for their undermining of even the slightest efforts to ease the suffering of the war-stricken Yemeni population.

The source said, "It had been expected that the presidential statement would clearly refer to the positivity of the Yemeni government's attitude and interactions, over the past period, with the UN special envoy's proposals and its responsible collaboration with the international and humanitarian organizations in address the humanitarian situation especially the lethal cholera.

The epidemic which has become part of the death instruments the rebels have been using to inflict the greatest harm against the people and commercialize the innocents' lives to solicit international sympathy to get them out of the dilemma in which they plunged the whole nation in."

The source welcomed the call for full implementation of the embargo on arms exportation to the rebels, a practice that prolongs the war and fails the peaceful process. It also welcomed the call upon the Houthis and forces allied to former President Saleh to cease all attacks at Saudi Arabia – a call in harmony with the UNSC resolutions especially resolution 2216.

The source noted the condemnation of the rebels' attack on the UN Special Envoy’s convoy during his recent visit to Sana’a, but said it (the condemnation) was not worded strongly enough to match the magnitude of the crime.

From the previous experiences, the source said, it has been evident that excessive tolerance with the rebels has been emboldening them into defying all values, which will make the UN personnel subject to continuous blackmailing by the rebels.

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