Al Mukalla: Yemeni president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi has hailed supporters who turned out in the streets of government-held cities to voice solidarity with him and reject the latest UN peace plan that would allegedly strip him of his authorities.
At a meeting with senior aides and government officials, Hadi said on Monday that he turned down the plan since it did not address the root causes of Yemen’s conflict, which is Al Houthis coup against a democratically elected president, and its destructive ramifications.
“We clearly reject what is called the [UN Envoy Esmail] Ould Al Shiakh [Ahmad] peace plan because it rose from the wrong basis. We reject it since it neglects the root cause of the problem which is the coup and its ramifications,” he said.
Last week, the UN envoy proposed a peace plan demanding the internationally recognised president to take a figurehead role after passing his authorities to a new vice president. The incumbent vice president, Ali Mohsen Al Ahmar, Al Houthis’ bitter enemy, will reportedly have to resign under the new deal.
On Monday, Hadi said the plan rewards Al Houthis and their ally, ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, for overthrowing him and would pave the way for more conflict in the future.
“I would like to salute all the free people, local authorities, military leaders and political, civil and media figures for their steadfastness and patience. I salute you for your noble stand and I promise to stand by you.” he said. Similarly, senior army commanders battling Al Houthis on many fronts expressed their support to Hadi and vowed to keep fighting until they pushed Al Houthis out of the capital and other provinces according to the national army’s official Facebook page.
Meanwhile, on the ground, government forces battled Al Houthis and ousted president army troops in battlefields in Taiz, Shabwa, Marib and Jawf. The militias suffered the heaviest casualties in the northern province of Jawf where fighter jets from the Saudi-led coalition hit their military sites.
Jawf Media Centre said on Monday that at least 10 Al Houthis were killed and 13 injured in the “precise” air strikes in Al Metoun district. Government forces also warded off attacks by Al Houthis in the same area. In the city of Taiz, similar heavy clashes were reported in many areas as government forces launched attacks to take control of a strategic mountainous area on the eastern side of the city. Ten Al Houthis and six government forces were killed in the clashes on Sunday according to local army officers.
