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Yemen’s Alimi in Germany to Pressure Houthis, Garner Support

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, in the courtyard of the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, September 13, 2022. (Reuters)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, in the courtyard of the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, September 13, 2022. (Reuters)
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Yemen’s Alimi in Germany to Pressure Houthis, Garner Support

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, in the courtyard of the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, September 13, 2022. (Reuters)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, in the courtyard of the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, September 13, 2022. (Reuters)

Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi traveled to Germany on Tuesday on an official visit aimed at intensifying pressure on the Iran-backed Houthi militias to accept peace.

He is also seeking to garner support for Yemen’s economy and development, official sources said on Tuesday.

Alimi’s visit will last several days and he is later expected to travel to the United States to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

In Germany, he met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and is set to hold talks with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and several officials.

They will tackle the latest developments in Yemen and regional and international efforts to resolve its conflict. They will address humanitarian efforts, peace and stability in Yemen.

Alimi hailed the unique ties that bind Yemen and Germany and Berlin’s support to the legitimate forces in the country, the Saba state news agency quoted him as saying.

He said he was confident his visit will pave the way for broader cooperation with Germany in terms of the development and reconstruction of Yemen.

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UN, NGOs Concerned Over Houthis’ Prosecution of UN Workers

Ongoing arrest campaigns in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen (Local Media)
Ongoing arrest campaigns in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen (Local Media)
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UN, NGOs Concerned Over Houthis’ Prosecution of UN Workers

Ongoing arrest campaigns in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen (Local Media)
Ongoing arrest campaigns in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen (Local Media)

The Houthis in Yemen kicked off the trial of detainees from UN agencies and international aid organizations by referring them to a prosecution operating under their authority in Sanaa and specialized in state security and terrorism cases.
The move has raised the concern of heads of UN entities and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) whose employees are being forcibly held by the Houthis.
They expressed “grave concern” and renewed calls for their immediate release.
The Iran-backed Houthis have, since early June, arrested and forcibly disappeared dozens of people, including at least 13 UN staff and many employees of nongovernmental organizations operating in their controlled territories.
The militia has expanded its campaign to include more than 70 employees of international and local organizations in areas under its control in northern and western Yemen, and has accused them of spying for foreign parties.
In response to the Houthi measure, heads of UN entities and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) issued a statement on Saturday, renewing urgent calls for the immediate release of their staff arbitrarily detained by the Houthi authorities in Yemen, amid reports that some of them may now face “criminal prosecution.”
The signatories of the statement included the UN Yemen envoy, Hans Grundberg, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, UNDP head Achim Steiner, UNESCO head Audrey Azoulay, UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, UN human rights chief Volker Turk and Oxfam International executive director Amitabh Behar.
The group emphasized that the reported referral to “criminal prosecution” further raised serious concerns.
“Six OHCHR staff – one woman and five men – were arbitrarily arrested by the de facto authorities in June together with seven other UN personnel. A further two OHCHR staffers and two colleagues from other UN agencies have been detained and held “incommunicado” since 2021 and 2023 respectively,” they wrote in the joint statement.
“At a time when we were hoping for the release of our colleagues, we are deeply distressed by this reported development,” they said, adding that the potential laying of “charges” against their colleagues is unacceptable and further compounds the lengthy incommunicado detention they have already endured.
Renewed Concerns
The heads of UN entities and NGOs also stated that the reported referral to “criminal prosecution” further raised serious concerns about the safety and security of their staff, as well as that of their families.
They warned that such action would further hinder their ability to deliver critical humanitarian aid to millions of Yemenis in need.
If tried, those detainees, who are accused of espionage, would face possible death sentences.
“The targeting of humanitarians in Yemen – including arbitrary detention, intimidation, mistreatment, and false allegations – must stop, and all those detained must be released immediately,” the heads of UN entities and NGOs stressed in the statement.
It added that the UN, INGOs, and partners are working through “all possible channels” and with multiple governments to secure the swift release of those detained.