The United Nations Security Council has “strongly” condemned ongoing attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militias on Saudi Arabia.
In a statement issued Friday, council members said such attacks “pose a serious threat to regional security.”
The members also welcomed the announcement on July 28 of renewed implementation of the Riyadh Agreement and the mediation led by Saudi Arabia. They called on the Yemeni Government and Southern Transitional Council to fully and “urgently” implement the Riyadh Agreement.
The members reiterated that only an inclusive political solution can end the conflict in Yemen, emphasizing their steadfast support for UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths.
The statement said council members urged the parties to urgently endorse the UN-facilitated Joint Declaration proposals without delay in order to achieve an inclusive and sustainable peace.
“They stressed the need for urgent agreement to the Joint Declaration to enable negotiation of a comprehensive transitional agreement to end the conflict where power is shared among diverse political and social components,” said the statement.
They reiterated their commitment to an “inclusive Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process” as set out in the relevant UN resolutions, including Resolution 2216, as well as by the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and its implementation mechanism and the outcome of the National Dialogue Conference.
Furthermore, council members welcomed the agreement by the parties last month to release 1,081 prisoners, “an important step in the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement and an important confidence-building measure.”
They hailed the flights on October 15 and 16, and “welcomed the parties’ commitment to continue further negotiations on the implementation of the Prisoner Exchange Agreement and urged them to quickly reconvene in that regard.”
The members further stressed the need for de-escalation across Yemen and a nationwide ceasefire, calling for the implementation of the UN chief’s global ceasefire call as detailed in Resolution 2532, as well as his March 25 call for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
