Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Ambassador Hossam Zaki stressed that crisis management required wisdom, diplomacy and looking beyond the dispute.
He pointed to the Arab League resolutions in support of Yemen’s legitimacy and valued cooperation between the Arab organization and the UN envoys to Syria and Libya.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Zaki noted that resolutions adopted by the Arab League in Yemen were aimed at backing the country’s legitimacy and strengthening its presence on the ground.
On the other hand, he criticized the role of the UN envoy, saying: “It is not right for a UN envoy to resolve a serious Arab crisis like that of Yemen and ignore the Arab League and its Secretary General, which means that he does not want to know its position and decisions.”
He said that while the international envoys of Syria and Libya were always coordinating with the League and sometimes attended some ministerial meetings, coordination was missing with the UN's special envoy to Yemen.
The Arab League secretary-general has talked with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres about lack of coordination and communication and considered it an unjustified behavior, according to Zaki.
Asked whether the current efforts would help reach peace and stability in Yemen, he underlined the necessity for “good intentions” among the different parties, saying that the Yemenis “are one people, and should be considered so regardless of their different political and sectarian positions.”
Commenting on the regional interference, especially by Turkey and Iran, in crises in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya, Zaki said: “Unfortunately, the meddling has further complicated the crises, and we hope over time that regional and international influence would decline, otherwise it would prolong and complicate the disputes. The peoples of these countries should be given the right to self-determination.”
Asked about the recent decision by US President Donald Trump to withdraw his forces from Syria, the Arab League official stressed that any departure of foreign forces from Arab territories was an important step on the road to sovereignty, but should not be a prelude to the entry of other forces.
On the joint Arab work, Zaki emphasized the importance of consensus to face challenges and interventions in the region.
He said in this regard that the management of disputes needed wisdom, diplomacy, consideration of the post-conflict period, and defining the future vision for joint action that would best serve the interests of all and maintain Arab cohesion.
