Security Council Says Houthis Are Responsible for Not Renewing Yemen Truce

The UN Security Council (Reuters)
The UN Security Council (Reuters)
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Security Council Says Houthis Are Responsible for Not Renewing Yemen Truce

The UN Security Council (Reuters)
The UN Security Council (Reuters)

The UN Security Council said the Houthi militias were responsible for not renewing the truce agreement in Yemen, stressing that the last-minute demands of negotiations to extend the truce in the country impeded the UN mediation efforts.

The Security Council stressed the need to avoid the resumption of hostilities inside Yemen and attacks in the region and the Red Sea.

In a press statement, members of the Security Council urgently called on the Yemeni parties, especially the Houthis, to refrain from provocation, prioritize the Yemeni people, return to constructive engagement in negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations, and work urgently to extend the truce.

The members expressed their deep disappointment that the UN-mediated truce in Yemen expired on October 2 without the parties agreeing to extend it.

They stressed their expectation that the parties would find a way to restore the armistice, noting that the past six months saw the most extended period of calm since the war began and a dramatic reduction in civilian casualties.

The statement indicated that the expanded truce proposal would provide salaries to teachers, nurses, and civil servants in Yemen, open roads in Taiz and across the country, boost international flights, and ease the clearance process for fuel ships entering Hodeidah port.

The Council members renewed their support for the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, stressing that the extension would also provide an opportunity to reach a ceasefire.

They hoped it would lead to a comprehensive Yemeni-led political settlement with the fair and meaningful participation of women, under the auspices of the United Nations, based on the agreed references and under Security Council Resolutions.

They indicated that returning to negotiations and restoring the armistice is the way toward permanently ending this war and resolving Yemen’s humanitarian and economic crises, expressing deep concern over rhetoric threatening negotiations and actions impeding financial stability in Yemen.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee recently announced new sanctions on three Yemeni people for their involvement in terrorist activities.

The council indicated that the Commander of the Houthi Air Force and Air Defense, Ahmed al-Hamzi, was named for his activities and his role in the military efforts that directly threaten peace, security, and stability in Yemen.

The committee, established according to Resolution 2140, also named Houthi naval chief Mansour al-Saadi, who orchestrated lethal attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea and played a leading role in Houthi naval efforts that directly threatened the peace, security, and stability of Yemen.

The sanctions also included the former deputy head of its National Security Bureau, Mutlaq al-Marani, who was added for his role in the “torture and other ill-treatment” of detainees under his supervision.

Marani was also accused of directing the National Security Bureau to illegally arrest and detain humanitarian workers and planning the diversion of humanitarian aid in breach of international law.



Rubio Says US is Revoking all Visas Held by South Sudanese Passport Holders

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio gestures as he addresses the audience during a statement as part of the meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Ministers of Foreign Affairs at NATO's headquarters in Brussels on April 4, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio gestures as he addresses the audience during a statement as part of the meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Ministers of Foreign Affairs at NATO's headquarters in Brussels on April 4, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP)
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Rubio Says US is Revoking all Visas Held by South Sudanese Passport Holders

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio gestures as he addresses the audience during a statement as part of the meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Ministers of Foreign Affairs at NATO's headquarters in Brussels on April 4, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio gestures as he addresses the audience during a statement as part of the meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Ministers of Foreign Affairs at NATO's headquarters in Brussels on April 4, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that the United States was revoking all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders, accusing the African nation's government of “taking advantage of the United States.”
“Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them,” Rubio said in a statement, adding that “South Sudan’s transitional government has failed to fully respect this principle."
Besides revoking visas, Rubio said the US would "prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders.”
South Sudan’s political landscape is fragile and recent violence between government troops and armed opposition groups has escalated tensions, The Associated Press said.
Last week, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged regional and international leaders to prevent South Sudan from falling “over the abyss” into another civil war.
Guterres warned that the world’s newest and one of its poorest countries is facing “a security emergency” with intensifying clashes and a “political upheaval” culminating with last week’s arrest by the government of First Vice President Riek Machar.