UN Envoy Meets Yemeni Leaders to Consolidate the Ceasefire

Yemeni Foreign Minister during his meeting with the UN envoy in Riyadh on Wednesday (Saba)
Yemeni Foreign Minister during his meeting with the UN envoy in Riyadh on Wednesday (Saba)
TT

UN Envoy Meets Yemeni Leaders to Consolidate the Ceasefire

Yemeni Foreign Minister during his meeting with the UN envoy in Riyadh on Wednesday (Saba)
Yemeni Foreign Minister during his meeting with the UN envoy in Riyadh on Wednesday (Saba)

The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, intensified his meetings with Yemeni officials as part of his efforts to consolidate the military and humanitarian ceasefire.

The Houthi militias have pushed thousands of their armed members to Hodeidah in a show of force, which could lead to new battles and threaten international navigation in the Red Sea.

The UN-backed truce was launched in April and was renewed twice until October 2.

Official Yemeni sources stated that Grundberg met in Riyadh Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, the Chairman of the Consultation and Reconciliation Commission, Muhammad al-Ghaithi, and his deputy after holding talks with Speaker Sultan al-Barakani.

The sources reported that bin Mubarak discussed with the envoy the UN truce and peace efforts in light of the recent Houthi attacks in the Ad-Dhabab area in Taiz and their continuous ceasefire violations.

Saba news agency quoted bin Mubarak as saying that Yemenis await the militias' commitment to open the main roads to Taiz. However, the Houthis challenged the international community by trying to block the main highway.

The foreign minister warned that the Houthi behavior threatens the truce and the initiatives and efforts to expand and extend it unless there are firm stances against militia actions.

He stressed that militias must implement the clause on opening roads and end all violations and war mobilization, adding that the Houthis must not exploit the government's commitment and the coalition's support.

The UN envoy condemned all acts of escalation, reiterating his keenness to address all violations through a joint mechanism that guarantees adherence to the ceasefire.

Grundberg indicated that he would continue his efforts to reach an expanded armistice and find a way forward in the peace process to serve the aspirations of Yemenis.

The UN envoy met the head of the Yemeni Consultation and Reconciliation Commission, Muhammad al-Ghaithi, and the vice-chairman, Abdul Malik al-Mikhlafi, in Riyadh.

Ghaithi stressed the need for the international community and the UN envoy to bear responsibility for confronting Houthi violations, saying the militias' recent attacks indicate their rejection of the ceasefire and disruption of peace efforts.

Earlier, the UN envoy met with Parliament Speaker Sultan al-Barakani.

Barakani stated that the Houthi militia is not interested or serious about peace given its ongoing violations of the UN-mediated truce.

He stressed that the Houthis are not a partner in making peace.

He urged the UN envoy and the international community to shoulder their responsibility to deter the militias and their main backer Iran. “The Yemeni people have paid a heavy price for the militia's aggressions as other Arab countries do with Iran," he said.

The UN envoy briefed the Speaker on the outcome of his recent meeting with all parties regarding the truce and opening of Taiz roads.

He regretted the incidents in Taiz, confirming that he exerted extensive efforts to stop the bloodshed, pointing out that his priority was preventing the fighting in Taiz, enforcing the truce, and opening roads to its people.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) observed with great concern the significant military presence in Hodeidah in recent days.

UNMHA tweeted that Hodeidah must be kept free of military manifestations, as agreed in Stockholm, urging the Houthi leadership to "respect the terms of the Hodeidah Agreement and refrain from actions that may contribute to escalation, in the interest of all Yemenis."



Sharaa Tours More Syrian Cities ahead of National Conference

This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Tartus. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Tartus. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)
TT

Sharaa Tours More Syrian Cities ahead of National Conference

This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Tartus. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Tartus. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartus on Sunday as part of a tour of the country that he kicked off on Saturday in the Idlib and Aleppo provinces.

The tour is taking place weeks ahead of a national conference scheduled in Homs in central Syria.

Sharaa was warmly welcomed by crowds that gathered in Latakia city center near the Jules Jammal school, which holds historic and national significance.

The school was established in the early 1920s and it helped shape national awareness in the country. It was the launch point for student protests and an arena for electoral tensions between the Baath party, Muslim Brotherhood and Syrian nationalists.

It was shut during the rule of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, leaving it in neglect despite its significance to the people.

Sharaa deliberately chose to greet the people near the school to underscore Latakia’s national role that was usurped by the Assad regime.

In Aleppo on Saturday, Sharaa attended an open dialogue discussion with several social and economic figures from the city and its countryside.

He listened to their proposals and demands, with sources saying that the talks focused on the state of affairs in Syria and efforts to revive it after the war and regime ouster.

This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Latakia. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)

Sharaa stressed Aleppo’s economic significance and role in the industry sector.

He underlined his confidence that Syria will rise again thanks to its people, telling the crowd that the interim government is focusing on setting plans for 2025 and 2026.

The sources said Sharaa sought to assure the people, emphasizing that “everyone was under the law” and that Syria is not a sectarian state.

He urged them to trust him in tackling the issues at hand, reiterating that he was walking the “very fine line between transitional justice and civil peace.”

Sharaa also visited Afrin city in Aleppo which is predominantly Kurdish.

He assured that Syrian Kurds were part of the Syrian population.

He visited refugee camps in the northwest, stressing that returning the displaced home was a government priority.

Sharaa’s tour is taking place amid preparations for the national conference in Homs. Consultations have already gotten underway for the meeting.