Yemeni Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Legitimate Government Demands Deploying Observers In Hodeidah Within a Week

Arab World

January 28th, 7:12am

Aden - Ali Rabih

A view of the fishing port of Hodeidah, Yemen April 17, 2019. (Reuters)

Yemeni sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday that the legitimate government team at the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) asked United Nations General Abhijit Guha to speed up the deployment of international observers at the five observation posts in Hodeidah within one week, while Houthi militias insist on escalating in the city. For his part, West coast liberation operations spokesman Waddah al-Dbish told the newspaper that the legitimate government team already met with Guha, RCC chair and head of United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) and informed him about the need to deploy those observers. “The UN team should send international observers or patrols to the observation posts within one week, or else we will announce that Houthis did not respect the conditions of peace measures at those posts and that international observers rejected to send their patrols,” he said. The spokesperson stressed that the legitimate government team would not accept that Houthis continue to violate the truce in Hodeidah, particularly after the militias rejected the deployment of UN observers in the city, insisting that only 70 UN observers remain stationed off the coast on board a UN vessel. Dbish said the legitimate government team asked Guha to clearly announce that Houthis were preventing the UN team from implementing the Hodeidah agreement and from completing its mission. “The UN should assume its responsibilities in Hodeidah, where 70 UN observers, administrative, secretary and military officials have not touched foot at the five observation posts since a year ago because Houthis prevent them to move in the city,” he said. The spokesperson said that Guha promised to deploy the observers or announce the obstructing party. “We, at the government team, would not wait another six months for the deployment of those observers,” he said. Dbish uncovered that Houthis succeeded to smuggle a large number of arms and ammunitions to the city last Sunday through more than 12 fishing boats. The UN succeeded late last year in setting up and reinforcing five observation posts to monitor a ceasefire in the southern part of the Yemeni city. UN envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths arrived in Sanaa with a plan to resume peace talks between the legitimate Yemeni government and Houthi militias.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2102881/yemeni-official-asharq-al-awsat-legitimate-government-demands-deploying