The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, will address the United Nations Security Council from Riyadh during a regular session on the latest developments in Yemen.
Griffiths’ video conference briefing will be his first-ever held from the Saudi capital. This coincides with Saudi-sponsored indirect negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) showing positive signs.
Many speculate that, soon, a Jeddah declaration will be announced on ending recent turmoil in southern Yemen.
A final draft, named the “Jeddah Agreement,” has been said to settle differences between the legitimate government and the STC, a secessionist organization, amid guarantees on the implementation of the agreement under the monitoring of a joint committee led by Riyadh.
Griffiths may be among those present at the signing ceremony of the Jeddah Agreement, although an official source in the UN envoy's office said he had not been invited to attend.
Other sources say the invitations have not yet been formally issued and did not rule out that Griffiths will be invited.
In the briefing, Griffiths is expected to address the progress achieved between the government and the STC. Observers of the Yemeni crisis say the agreement will constitute a quantum leap in helping form solutions that push for unifying Yemen and set objectives for the next stage.
Success in ongoing dialogue between government and STC representatives is expected to end a crisis that started last August when the STC seized control of Aden and neighboring provinces following a standoff with government forces.
The UN envoy is also expected to discuss the Hodeidah Agreement, the humanitarian file, as well as the release of detainees and prisoners.
The Hodeidah ceasefire and troop redeployment agreement was reached last year at peace talks in Sweden, as a trust-building measure to pave the way for talks to end the war, but stalled for months before the Houthi withdrawal from three Red Sea ports.
