Swedish Messages for a Long-Term Solution to End Yemeni Crisis

Sweden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ambassador Peter Semneby.
Sweden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ambassador Peter Semneby.
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Swedish Messages for a Long-Term Solution to End Yemeni Crisis

Sweden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ambassador Peter Semneby.
Sweden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ambassador Peter Semneby.

Sweden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ambassador Peter Semneby believes that the longer the current ceasefire lasts in Yemen the harder it becomes to break it.

“A long-term perspective that gives the Yemeni people what they need and deserve can only be achieved through: de-escalation, alleviation of human suffering, and engagement in the political process,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The parties will get used to that, and they will adapt to the course of the armistice,” said the diplomat.

Despite the positive atmosphere surrounding the ceasefire, it remains fragile, according to Semneby.

“There is a need for efforts of all kinds to ensure that parties fulfill their obligations under the truce and are aware of the risks of escalation,” he warned.

He urged Yemen’s warring parties to focus on “a long-term vision for peace rather than just thinking now about what this or that action might mean on the battlefield in the short term.”

The terms of the UN-sponsored truce are four: a comprehensive ceasefire, opening Sanaa airport to commercial flights, allowing the flow of fuel tankers to Hodeidah, and meeting to open the land crossings, including those in the besieged city of Taiz.

All items have been implemented except for those concerning Taiz. The Iran-backed Houthi militias insist on rejecting UN proposals for opening Taiz’s roads and lifting the siege that is affecting 3 million people there.

“It was a brave step by the (Yemeni) government to allow fuel shipments to Hodeidah and the opening of Sanaa airport,” said Semneby.

He hoped the truce would be extended “through a more formal agreement with monitoring and control mechanisms.”

“We need to stay in touch with the various parties to make sure that they understand what is at stake,” urged the diplomat, adding that parties must consider the benefits of maintaining the truce.



Lebanon’s Berri: Resolution 1701 Stands Unchanged

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with US envoy Amos Hochstein during his recent visit to Beirut (AFP)
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with US envoy Amos Hochstein during his recent visit to Beirut (AFP)
TT

Lebanon’s Berri: Resolution 1701 Stands Unchanged

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with US envoy Amos Hochstein during his recent visit to Beirut (AFP)
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with US envoy Amos Hochstein during his recent visit to Beirut (AFP)

Lebanon is monitoring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to US President Joe Biden’s push for a ceasefire in southern Lebanon.

Biden has sent advisors Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk to Tel Aviv to discuss the matter with Netanyahu, marking what Lebanese officials see as the last chance for progress before the US presidential election on Nov. 5.

Lebanese leaders, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, are cautious about predicting results.

Mikati did not comment after his recent meetings with US advisors.

However, Berri highlighted Lebanon’s prior agreement with Hochstein to a ceasefire, deploying the Lebanese army in the south, and enforcing UN Resolution 1701.

Berri reaffirmed that Lebanon won’t alter these terms, saying, “What’s agreed is agreed; Resolution 1701 stands unchanged.”

The speaker clarified that Lebanon has fulfilled its commitments and is now waiting for Netanyahu’s response, noting that Lebanon is ready to implement the ceasefire if Hochstein can secure Netanyahu’s agreement.

“The ball is now in Netanyahu’s court,” Berri said, pointing out that Netanyahu has previously agreed to and then withdrawn from ceasefire deals.

According to sources, Hezbollah is fully behind Berri’s mandate for a ceasefire.

Hezbollah’s newly appointed Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, recently confirmed the party’s support.

Qassem is closely following developments with the party’s military leadership, while Hezbollah’s MPs continue discussions with other blocs to clarify their position.

Lebanese sources stressed that reaching a ceasefire is critical and must happen as soon as possible, asserting that Netanyahu should not leverage the situation in Gaza as a pretext to avoid a southern ceasefire.

As Biden’s envoys prepare to meet with Netanyahu, Lebanese officials remain focused on whether this effort will result in an agreement.

The ongoing clashes near the southern Lebanese town of Khiam, where Hezbollah is actively resisting Israeli advances, have intensified the situation, making the outcome of these discussions crucial.