Good-faith efforts urged at Kuwait talks

This news has been read 6086 times!

KUWAIT CITY, April 12, (Agencies): The State of Kuwait’s hosting of peace talks between Yemeni adversaries on April 18 is seen as the latest bid to end the five-year conflict that swept through the country at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. A timeline highlighting major events since the eruption of the conflict in January 2011 is hereby displayed below.

On Jan 27, 2011, inspired by the Tunisian and Egyptian protests earlier in the month, Yemenis took to the streets against then President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been ruling the country for over 30 years.

Saleh pledged not to extend his presidency in 2013 or to hand over to his son, Ahmad. On Feb 11, 2011, student protests resumed, hence coining the movement the ‘February 11th Revolution.’ Instability continued throughout March of the same year, and turned bloody on Feb 18, with 52 people killed by security forces during protests.

On June 3, 2011, and after months of mounting protests, President Saleh was injured in a rocket attack and fl own to Saudi Arabia, returning home in September.

On Nov 23, 2011, President Saleh agreed to hand over power to his deputy, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. A unity government including prime minister from opposition was formed. From February 2012 onwards, Hadi was inaugurated as president after uncontested elections, Defense Minister Mohammad Nassir Ahmad survived a car bomb attack in Sanaa that killed 11 people, a day after local al-Qaeda deputy head Said Al-Shihri was reportedly dead in the south. Instability and violence carried on throughout 2013 as well. On Jan 25, 2014, as the National Dialogue Conference winds up after 10 months of deliberation, agreeing a document on which the new constitution will be based. Nevertheless, the Northern rebels, known as Houthis or Ansar Allah (Partisans of God), managed to take control of Sanaa on Sept 21, 2014 with the support of former president Saleh.

Rejected
In January 2015, Houthis rejected a draft constitution proposed by the government and in February appoint a presidential council to replace President Hadi, who fl ed to Aden southern stronghold. In March 2015, the so-called Islamic State (IS) carried out its first major attack in Yemen — two suicide bombings targeting Shia mosques in Sanaa, in which 137 people were killed, while Houthi rebels start to advance towards southern Yemen. On March 25, Saudi-led coalition of Gulf Arab states launched airstrikes against Houthi targets and imposed a naval blockade as demanded by President Hadi.

The airstrikes, named Operation Decisive Storm lasted until April 21, 2015. In September 2015, President Hadi returned to Aden after Saudi-backed government forces recaptured the port city from Houthi forces and launched advance on Aden. In March 2016, UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Sheikh Ahmad announced that all parties agreed on cessation of hostilities starting April 10 and peace talks resume in Kuwait on April 18. In this context, the world community voiced optimism that such moves would help end the conflict in Yemen.

The US welcomed cessation of hostilities in Yemen Monday and said it will help “lay the groundwork” for April 18 peace talks in Kuwait under auspices of UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmad, State Department announced. “We urge all parties to attend and engage in these talks in good faith in order to find a sustainable way forward in Yemen,” said Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner in a press conference.

Respect
He also urged “all parties to fully uphold and respect this cessation of hostilities, which is critical to ensuring the unimpeded delivery of critically needed humanitarian aid, including food, fuel and medicine to all parts of Yemen.” Toner highlighted that over 80 percent of the people of Yemen require “some form of emergency assistance.”

Last week the US announced approximately $139 million in humanitarian assistance and is “seeking to help ensure its implementing partners are well-positioned to utilize the cessation of hostilities to distribute the assistance through Yemen to all those in need,” said Toner.

The 23rd conference of the Arab Inter- Parliamentary Union (AIPU) concluded on Monday with the adoption of the Cairo Declaration which commends Kuwait’s efforts to resolve the confl ict in Yemen. The declaration underlines the need of Yemen recovering its security and stability as early as possible and reaching a peaceful settlement to the confl ict in the country based on the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Commitment to the ceasefi re in Yemen, which started April 10, is “fundamental” to the success of peace talks taking place April 18 in Kuwait under the auspices of the UN, said the General Secretariat of the GCC on Tuesday. Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Negotiations at the General Secretariat, Abdul-Aziz Al- Owaishiq, told Radio Kuwait that continued truce between confl icting parties in Yemen will speed up bringing the crisis there, which has lasted five years, to an end. He noted Kuwait’s “positive” role, along with those of the GCC states, in making a success out of the peace negotiations in Kuwait.

Meanwhile, loyalists and rebels have clashed on several fronts in Yemen, officials said Tuesday, the second day of a UN-brokered ceasefire the insurgents are warning is in jeopardy, less than a week before peace talks. Forces loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi fought with the Shiite Houthi rebels in the province of Marib, east and north of the rebel-held capital Sanaa, officials said. The rebels and their allies loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh advanced overnight in the area of Sarwah, in Marib, wresting control of two hills, a military official said.

The Saudi-led coalition, which launched a military campaign against the Iran-backed rebels last year, had described violations on Monday as “minor”. Seven soldiers have been killed and 15 others wounded in Sarwah in rebel attacks since the ceasefire entered into force at midnight between Sunday and Monday, the official said. There were also clashes in Nihm, northeast of Sanaa, military officials said, while rebels said they confronted an attack by Hadi’s forces in the area. The rebels said Monday that pro-government forces were behind 39 violations of the truce, including attacks in Taez and the central province of Baida. They also said warplanes belonging to the Saudi-led coalition flew sorties over several areas of Yemen despite the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, a soldier was killed and nine others wounded in a rebel attack on an army base near the southern city of Baihan which borders Marib province. Rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam warned in a statement on Facebook that “continued military action endangers the peace process and reduce the chances of holding the forthcoming dialogue” in Kuwait.

This news has been read 6086 times!