Yemeni Government Calls for Ending UN’s Hodeidah Mission

FILE PHOTO: Ships are seen at the Hodeidah port, Yemen May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad
FILE PHOTO: Ships are seen at the Hodeidah port, Yemen May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad
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Yemeni Government Calls for Ending UN’s Hodeidah Mission

FILE PHOTO: Ships are seen at the Hodeidah port, Yemen May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad
FILE PHOTO: Ships are seen at the Hodeidah port, Yemen May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad

The Yemeni legitimate government has said that the Stockholm Agreement has collapsed, accusing Iran-backed Houthi militias of violating pacts and deals.

The government called for the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) to stop functioning and its headquarters relocated after the killing of Colonel Mohammed al-Solaihi in Hodeidah.

In a tweet, Yemeni Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Hadhrami said: "The martyrdom of Colonel Mohamed Solaihi, while performing his duty as part of the UN mission, proves that the (Houthi) group has no convention and that the Hodeidah deal is inapplicable."

“We won't forget Solaihi and his killers," the Minister tweeted.

He also called for UNMHA’s work to stop until the murderers are held accountable, and its headquarters relocated into a neutral zone in Hodeidah to be freed from the Houthi grip.

Government liaison officer Solaihi was shot on March 11 by a Houthi sniper at an observation point in Hodeidah.

He was taken to a hospital in Aden where he succumbed to his wounds on Friday.

Yemeni government spokesman Rajeh Badi told Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday that the Stockholm deal has collapsed.

He criticized UN envoy Martin Griffiths for not daring to blame the party responsible for shooting Solaihi.

He also described the Hodeidah Agreement as an illusion marketed by the UN envoy and the world. “This agreement has not achieved anything,” Badi explained.

On Saturday, Griffiths described the murder of Solaihi as a “deplorable and unacceptable attack.”

In a tweet, Griffiths expressed his deepest condolences for the tragic death of Solaihi.

"He will be remembered for his service in support of bringing peace to his country,” the envoy said.

The Yemeni government’s senior negotiator in the joint team for the implementation of the Hodeidah deal, Mohamed Aidha, announced the death of the Stockholm Agreement.

In a tweet, he wrote that the “agreement is an illusion pact.”



Trump's Syria Policy Dominates Opening of 'Astana 22' Talks

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Trump's Syria Policy Dominates Opening of 'Astana 22' Talks

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

The 22nd round of the Astana peace talks on Syria kicked off in Kazakhstan’s capital on Monday. The talks, held over two days, brought together Syria’s government, opposition and guarantor states Russia, Iran and Türkiye, with observers from Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and the UN.

The talks, initiated by Russia and supported by Türkiye and Iran, will focus on key issues such as the potential shifts in US policy toward Syria under President-elect Donald Trump, according to Russian presidential envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev.

The talks will also address regional tensions, including the spread of the Gaza conflict into Lebanon, ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Syria and concerns over the risk of the regional conflict expanding further.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stressed the importance of meeting before the end of the year to set priorities for Syria and the region.

This comes after the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed a “secret” Russian-Syrian agreement to limit the movement of Hezbollah, Iranian forces and Iranian-backed militias in Syria.

As well as the Syrian conflict, the talks will cover issues such as prisoner releases, missing persons, humanitarian conditions, international support for peace efforts, Syria’s reconstruction and the return of refugees.

The current round of talks will focus on the political and military situation around Syria.

Lavrentiev said Russia will do everything possible to prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading to Syria.

Potential changes in US policy toward Syria under Trump are a major topic for discussion among the ceasefire guarantors, he added. Russia will focus on concrete actions and proposals, rather than just statements, especially as expectations grow that Trump will follow through on his pledge to withdraw US troops from Syria.

This move could shift the balance of power and affect the actions of various parties. The withdrawal is a key demand for Russia, Iran and Türkiye, the three guarantor states of the Astana process.