French Ambassador to Yemen: Houthis’ Obstacles Hinder Solution

French Ambassador to Yemen Jean-Marie Safa said that the Houthis were their own enemies, warning the Iranian-backed group of the growing gap with the Yemeni people. He also stressed that negotiations were in their interest, pointing to a “historic opportunity” to achieve peace in the country.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Safa highlighted some obstacles put in place by the Houthis in the recent peace efforts, especially in the issue of salaries.

He emphasized the presence of a consensus within the Security Council to support the role of the UN envoy to Yemen, and to launch a comprehensive internal political process under the auspices of the United Nations.

Safa - one of the most active ambassadors in the Yemeni file and who has extensive knowledge of the complexities of the crisis - believes that the Yemeni people have the ability to withstand, and the youth were open to the world, unlike the Houthi project, which he described as “reactionary”.

The ambassador stressed that France supports the Saudi-Omani efforts, which provide a favorable environment for the international endeavor, indicating that the Saudi-Iranian agreement had a positive impact on the Yemeni file.

According to Safa, there is no intention to issue a new Security Council resolution on Yemen. He noted that the priority was to revive an intra-Yemeni political process under UN auspices.

He also affirmed that France strongly supports the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and commends his constant commitment and efforts to achieve peace, especially after the tangible results represented in the decline of violence in the country after the truce that took place in April 2022.

Houthis’ obstacles

The French ambassador to Yemen explained that the peace process needed more time due to some obstacles on the part of the Houthis, especially in the issue of salaries.

“The process needs some time. There are many issues, including salaries. There are still some problems because of the extremist Houthi group, and negotiations with them are always difficult. I hope that pragmatism within the group prevails over the ideological wing. This is necessary to reach a comprehensive and complete political solution under the auspices of the United Nations,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Safa noted that the peace negotiations were in the interest of the Houthis.

He explained: “The Yemenis know exactly what is happening in their country. They know that the Houthis waged an economic war against legitimacy. This halted oil exports. The people are also aware that the group has gained billions of dollars through the port of Hodeidah and others, while the economic situation in their areas has deteriorated... This means that the gap between the Houthis and the people is growing day by day, and the Houthis’ interest lies in the negotiations.”

The ambassador, however, pointed to the Yemeni people’s resilience.

“When I visited Aden a month and a half ago, where France opened a space for young people, I saw their enthusiasm because they want to communicate with the world and modernity, in contrast to the reactionary Houthi project,” he remarked.

No moderates among the Houthis

According to Safa, the Houthi group is experiencing a factional struggle between pragmatists and ideologues, in the absence of moderates - as he put it.

“The conflicting statements are evidence of the existence of different wings within the group, especially the pragmatic wing as opposed to the ideological wing. I always say that the Houthis are their own enemies because of their ideologues,” he stated.

“Nevertheless, we hope that the pragmatic current within the group will expand. Because they support the idea of negotiations. Ideologues, on the other hand, favor the military option, extremism and war. Therefore, we hope that the pragmatic wing will prevail over the ideological wing for the sake of the country and the people, and for the benefit of the Houthis themselves,” the ambassador told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Saudi-Omani efforts

Safa affirmed that France supports the Saudi-Omani efforts, which he said provide a conducive environment for the international endeavor to resolve the crisis.

“Because of Houthi extremism and intransigence, there are obstacles to achieving peace. We hope, with time, to reach solutions to all issues and establish an intra-Yemeni political process under the auspices of the UN envoy,” he said.

The French ambassador also noted that the Saudi-Iranian agreement had a positive impact on the Yemeni file, hoping that this would push the Houthis towards the right direction and soften their stance.

In response to a question about an intention to issue a new Security Council resolution pertaining to Yemen, Safa indicated that this was not on the table at the present time.

“So far, a new resolution is not on the agenda of the Security Council. Today, the priority is to revive the intra-Yemeni political process under the auspices of the United Nations,” he stated.

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), told Asharq al-Awsat that global hunger increased sharply during the coronavirus pandemic, noting that the GCC countries were able to shield themselves from major shocks affecting food security.
Laborde added that global hunger affected over 152 million people, with no improvement in the past two years.
Today, 733 million people suffer from chronic hunger, and 2.3 billion face food insecurity, according to the UN annual report on “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.”

Laborde explained that the global economic crisis has worsened food insecurity, keeping hunger levels high.
Alongside this, climate shocks and conflicts are major causes of hunger. He also pointed out that food insecurity is closely tied to inequality, and the economic crisis, rising living costs, and high interest rates are deepening existing inequalities both within and between countries.
On whether economic diversification in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is boosting food security, Laborde said: “A move towards a more diversified economy and enhancing the ability to rely on various sources of food supplies are key drivers of food security resilience and stability.”
“GCC countries have managed to shield themselves from major shocks, primarily due to their high income levels and ability to cover import costs without difficulty,” he explained.
Regarding the FAO’s outlook on reducing global hunger, Laborde insisted that ending hunger will require a significant increase in funding.
When asked for suggestions on how governments could enhance food security, Laborde said: “Despite global figures remaining stable, improvements are seen in Asia and Latin America, showing that the right policies and conditions can reduce numbers.”
“Hunger is not inevitable. Investing in social safety nets to protect the poor, along with making structural changes to food systems to be more environmentally friendly, resilient, and equitable, is the right path forward,” emphasized Laborde.
The annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, published on Wednesday, said about 733 million people faced hunger in 2023 – one in 11 people globally and one in five in Africa.
Hunger and food insecurity present critical challenges affecting millions globally.
The annual report, released this year during the G20 Global Alliance for Hunger and Poverty Task Force ministerial meeting in Brazil, warns that the world is significantly lagging in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2—ending hunger by 2030.
It highlights that global progress has regressed by 15 years, with malnutrition levels comparable to those seen in 2008-2009.
Despite some progress in areas like stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, a troubling number of people still face food insecurity and malnutrition, with global hunger levels rising.

French Ambassador to Yemen: Houthis’ Obstacles Hinder Solution