Yemen denounces UN ceasefire call as pro-Riyadh

In a statement, the National Salvation Government’s Foreign Ministry said the Security Council did not show any positive development in its policies towards the grievances of the Yemeni people, who have been facing an illegal and unjustified war for nearly seven years.

“It is unfortunate that the Security Council continues to condemn the legitimate right of the Yemeni people to defend themselves and the sovereignty of their country, while ignoring the war crimes” committed by the Saudi-led war coalition against Yemeni civilians, read the statement, the Ansarullah movement’s official website reported.

The Foreign Ministry of the National Salvation Government, which runs the Yemeni government from the capital Sana’a, further added the coalition’s war crimes include air raids on Yemeni territory on a daily basis, in addition to a tight siege against the Yemeni people, which has deprived them of their most basic needs and legitimate rights.

In a statement on Wednesday, members of the UN Security Council called for an urgent ceasefire across Yemen and an end to the Yemeni Army’s advances toward the last stronghold of Saudi-backed mercenaries in the strategic city of Ma’rib.

“The members of the Security Council demanded an immediate nationwide ceasefire, in accordance with resolution 2565 (2021), and called for the resolution of differences through inclusive dialogue and the rejection of violence to achieve political goals,” Security Council President Martin Kimani noted.

Kimani added the council’s members stressed the need for de-escalation by all, including an “immediate end to the Houthi (Ansarullah movement) escalation in Ma’rib,” hinting at recent ground gains in Ma’rib by the forces of the Sana’a government.

Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a war coalition against Yemen to overthrow the popular Ansarullah movement and reinstall the ousted, Riyadh-friendly regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in Sana’a.

The prolonged war, accompanied by an economic siege, has failed to reach its goals, killing hundreds of thousands of Yemeni people while throwing the poorest Middle Eastern country into what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

According to the latest estimate by UNICEF, the protracted war on Yemen has killed or maimed at least 10,000 children, which is equivalent to four children every day.

The Ansarullah movement has frequently asserted that it will not back down from defending Yemen against the Saudi-led coalition until the war and siege on Yemen end.

Yemeni Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein al-Ezzi reiterated the position, saying a political solution in Yemen will not be reached before the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention ends.

“Foreign intervention is a significant obstacle in the path to reaching a Yemeni-Yemeni political solution,” al-Ezzi stated via Twitter on Thursday.

He noted that the international community turning a blind eye to foreign intervention in Yemen is one of the most important reasons behind the prolongation of the war.

“I rule out the chance or possibility for an [intra]-Yemeni political solution before the non-Yemeni party is put aside,” he continued.

A member of the negotiating team of the Yemeni National Salvation Government also said the Security Council, contrary to its mission to maintain world peace, proved that its positions are influenced by power and money.

Addressing the Council, Abdul Malik al-Ajri said, “Your statement will not prevent us from defending ourselves and Yemen and responding to the aggressor.”

“You should know that Yemeni people’s blood is not a commodity for investment,” al-Ajri added.