Martin Griffiths, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, arrived on Sunday in the Houthi-run capital of Sanaa after over a year of a dry up in relations with the Iran-backed militias.
His trip signals efforts for a final shot at convincing the group to restore the peace process before he leaves his post.
In mid-May, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Griffiths as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, succeeding Mark Lowcock.
While Iran-affiliated media outlets reported briefly on Griffiths’ arrival in Sanaa, other channels followed up on the UN envoy’s regional tour before landing in the capital. He visited neighboring Arab capitals like Riyadh and Muscat before heading there.
The senior diplomat is trying to get Yemeni and regional parties on board his plan for establishing a ceasefire, instating humanitarian and economic measures and rebooting peace negotiations.
Houthi negotiators refused to meet with Griffiths in Muscat, but changes like pressure from Washington, recommendations from Iran and motivation from Oman steered the group in a new direction.
Foreign intervention prompted Houthis to meet with the envoy last Thursday to complete discussing his plan.
Yemeni politicians are skeptical about the Houthis’ seriousness in engaging in the peace process. Many believe that they are committed to exploiting humanitarian and economic provisions offered in Griffiths’ plan instead of agreeing to a ceasefire and freezing their offensive in the oil-rich governorate of Marib.
Houthi negotiators in Muscat, led by Muhammad Abdul Salam Fleita, communicated that the decision to return to the table of negotiations was in the hands of their leader, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi.
Such a condition drove Griffiths to make the trip to Sanaa, political analysts told Asharq Al-Awsat.
In Muscat, Griffiths met with senior Omani officials and reaffirmed to Fleita that the UN plan encompasses the reopening of Sanaa airport and lifting restrictions on the ports of Hodeidah.
This offer stands to enhance the flow of goods in and out of the battle-ridden country.
