Cairo: UN envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths, on Wednesday met a senior Yemeni government in Riyadh, the first such talks between both sides after two months of strains.
In May, Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour accused Griffiths of committing “transgressions” while doing his job as peace mediator. Hadi made the accusation in a message he sent to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Yemen’s internationally recognised government has accused the former British diplomat of bias to Iran-allied Al Houthi militants.
On Wednesday, Griffiths met Yemeni Vice President Ali Mohsen in Riyadh and discussed restarting Yemen’s peace process that has stalemated in recent months.
Griffiths said he is determined to advance peacemaking.
“I had very productive meetings with Vice-President Ali Mohsen. I was encouraged by the openness and flexibility of the Government of Yemen and its continued commitment towards achieving peace,” Griffiths said in a statement.
He reiterated UN commitment to continue working with the parties for a comprehensive peace agreement in Yemen, and urged all parties to create a “conducive environment” to make this a reality, according to the statement released by his office.
Yemen’s conflict erupted after Al Houthis unseated the Hadi government and overran parts of the country, including the capital Sana’a, in December 2014.
In March, 2015, an Arab alliance led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, intervened in Yemen in response to a request from the government after Al Houthis advanced on the southern city of Aden, the country’s provisional capital.
