Yemen's Presidential Council Discusses with UN Envoy Renewal of Truce

Head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi with UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg (Saba)
Head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi with UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg (Saba)
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Yemen's Presidential Council Discusses with UN Envoy Renewal of Truce

Head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi with UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg (Saba)
Head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi with UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg (Saba)

Head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi has met UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg and his assistant, Muin Shreim, to discuss the Yemeni crisis and a possible renewal of the truce.

Alimi was briefed by the UN envoy regarding his recent local, regional, and international meetings. They also addressed the efforts to renew the truce and resume a comprehensive political process under the UN auspices.

In the meeting, the Chairman informed the UN envoy about the Houthi militias' violations of public rights and freedoms, their mobilization, and ongoing violations on various fronts, including their recent cross-border attacks.

Alimi affirmed the commitment of the Presidential Council and the government to support the efforts of the UN envoy following the terms of reference agreed upon nationally, regionally, and internationally.

The Yemeni official reiterated the need to pressure the Houthi militias to prioritize the Yemeni people's interests over the interests of their leaders.

He also called for pushing them to address the ongoing efforts to renew the truce seeking to alleviate human suffering and revive hope for restoring security and stability in the country.



Syria’s Al-Sharaa Says No to Arms Outside State Control

Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (C) arrives for a meeing with visiting Druze officials from Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) in Damascus on December 22, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (C) arrives for a meeing with visiting Druze officials from Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) in Damascus on December 22, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
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Syria’s Al-Sharaa Says No to Arms Outside State Control

Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (C) arrives for a meeing with visiting Druze officials from Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) in Damascus on December 22, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (C) arrives for a meeing with visiting Druze officials from Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) in Damascus on December 22, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said his administration would announce the new structure of the defense ministry and military within days.

In a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday, al-Sharaa said that his administration would not allow for arms outside the control of the state.

An official source told Reuters on Saturday that Murhaf Abu Qasra, a leading figure in the insurgency that toppled Bashar al-Assad two weeks ago, had been named as defense minister in the interim government.
Sharaa did not mention the appointment of a new defense minister on Sunday.
Sharaa discussed the form military institutions would take during a meeting with armed factions on Saturday, state news agency SANA said.
Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir said last week that the defense ministry would be restructured using former opposition factions and officers who defected from Assad's army.

Earlier Sunday, Lebanon’s Druze leader Walid Jumblatt held talks with al-Sharaa in Damascus.

Jumblatt expressed hope that Lebanese-Syrian relations “will return to normal.”

“Syria was a source of concern and disturbance, and its interference in Lebanese affairs was negative,” al-Sharaa said, referring to the Assad government. “Syria will no longer be a case of negative interference in Lebanon," he added.