Yemen’s Alimi at UN: No More Concessions to Houthis

The President of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
The President of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
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Yemen’s Alimi at UN: No More Concessions to Houthis

The President of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
The President of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Rashad al-Alimi, the head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), strongly warned against his country going back to a time of slavery due to the Houthi group’s influence.

He emphasized the need for long-lasting peace based on established agreements and made it clear that there would be no new compromises with the Houthi group that controls northern Yemen.

Alimi’s warnings at the UN General Assembly meeting in New York came as the Houthis showcased in Sanaa their military power on the anniversary of taking over the capital.

Their leaders proudly talked about their missiles and drones, claiming that they could threaten all parts of Yemen and nearby regions.

Alimi stated that hopes are renewed with the resumption of Saudi and Omani efforts to compel Houthis to respect popular, regional, and international will.

He stressed that the goal of any sustainable peace efforts must involve broad partnership without discrimination or exclusion, aiming to establish a brighter future for Yemen.

The PLC chairman emphasized that his leadership and the Yemeni government have no further concessions to make, expressing skepticism about the intentions of the Houthi group, which he believed could be foreseen for decades to come.

Alimi warned against his country becoming a hub for exporting terrorism.

“Any leniency from the international community or compromising the legal status of the state, or even dealing with militias as an established authority, would inevitably turn the suppression and violation of public freedoms into an inescapable behavior,” said Alimi.

He also pointed to the group’s disregard for all previous deals, including the Stockholm Agreement.



More Than 50,000 Refugees Return to Syria from Türkiye

A boy cycles past buildings which were damaged during the war between opposition forces and the Assad regime, in the town of Harasta, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
A boy cycles past buildings which were damaged during the war between opposition forces and the Assad regime, in the town of Harasta, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
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More Than 50,000 Refugees Return to Syria from Türkiye

A boy cycles past buildings which were damaged during the war between opposition forces and the Assad regime, in the town of Harasta, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
A boy cycles past buildings which were damaged during the war between opposition forces and the Assad regime, in the town of Harasta, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Türkiye’s Interior Affairs Minister said Thursday that a total of 52,622 refugees have returned to Syria from Türkiye in the first month following Bashar Assad’s removal from power on Dec. 8.
Speaking at the Cilvegozu border crossing between Türkiye and Syria on Thursday, Ali Yerlikaya said that more than 40,000 Syrians had returned with family members while some 11,000 individuals crossed into Syria alone.
“The voluntary, safe, honorable and regular returns have started to increase,” Yerlikaya said.
Türkiye has hosted the largest number of Syrian refugees since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011 — more than 3.8 million at its peak in 2022.