Al Mukalla: The prime minister of Yemen, Ahmad Obaid Bin Daghar, has said that his government is determined to sign a peace deal with the Iran-backed Al Houthi movement to end more than two years of a bloody conflict that is causing unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
Bin Daghar said that peace would happen when the rebels agree to three conditions.
“We will remain determined to achieve a fair, perpetual and comprehensive peace that would end the conflict. This would happen through executing the remaining terms of GCC peace initiative, the outcomes of National Dialogue and the UN Security Council resolution 2216,” Bin Daghar said in a statement carried by the state-run Saba news agency.
The premier’s comments come after the UN special envoy to Yemen, Esmail Ould Shaikh Ahmad, voiced his hopes for renewed peace talks before Ramadan begins on May 27.
The Yemeni government has repeatedly said that it is interested in direct talks with the rebel movement as long as they adhere to previous agreements and UN Security Council resolution 2216 that demands Al Houthis to disarm, pull out of cities under their control and allow the Yemen government return to Sana’a.
Analysts believe that the current call by the UN envoy is unlikely to materialise given the escalating clashes on battlefronts across Yemen.
“There is no common ground between the legitimate government and Al Houthis. These calls are occasional and occur before important events like Ramadan or Eid,” Sami Noaman, a political analyst, told Gulf News on Sunday.
The rebels insist that they would only withdraw from three major cities and hand over arms after a unity government is formed.
Several ceasefire agreements have crumbled shortly after their announcement.
Army commanders loyal to president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi have accused the rebels of exploiting the absence of Saudi-led Arab coalition fighter jets during truces in order to regroup their forces.
Noaman said that Al Houthi movement wants to maintain the status quo.
“For the legitimate government, its goal is bringing things back to before September 21 [2014] and extending the state’s authority to all provinces including Saada [Al Houthi heartland].”
Last week, Bin Daghar said that peace would prevail in Yemen when Al Houthi movement and their allies agree to end their coup. Commenting on grave humanitarian situation, Bin Daghar said that Al Houthi rebels are the cause of the problems and they diverted more than 581 billion Yemeni riyals ($1.6 billion) that they collected from taxes and customs last year for their military efforts.
