Saudi Arabia has put forward a plan to end the war in Yemen. The proposals that were announced by Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud, would include a ceasefire under the supervision of the United Nations.
Although it’s not the first time for Saudi Arabia to offer peace initiative, the recent initiative is seen as one of the most encouraging; hence it was welcomed by the United Nation and many other peace calling countries.
According to the initiative, Saudi Arabia would also relax its blockade of the port of Hodeidah to allow fuel and food imports. Four ships carrying fuel have just docked in Hodeidah. They are reported to have a total of 45,000 tons of diesel, 5,000 tons of liquified gas and more than 22,000 tons of food onboard.
The initiative also aims to stop the spiral of violence and would reopen the airport in Sanaa to improve food distribution in Yemen.
The timing of the initiative was significant as it came at the same time the United Nation is warning that Yemen is on the top of the list of countries at risk of famine in the coming months or already facing it. World Food Programme chief David Beasley called for urgent action before a catastrophe unfolds before our very eyes especially in countries troubled by political conflicts.
However, the initiative fell on the deaf ears of Houthis who initially rejected it, saying it offered nothing new. Their chief negotiator, Mohammed Abdulsalam, did, however, say that he was ready to hold further talks with the Saudi and US governments and the government of the regional mediator, Oman, to reach a peace deal.
As usual, the Houthi promises of negotiations were just empty words to gain more time to get more land even at the expense of their fellow citizens.
For weeks now, Oman has been hosting talks between the Houthis and the US special envoy for Yemen, Timothy Lenderking. Yet, at the moment, no one is counting on a swift ceasefire and a speedy end to the war.
The Houthis instead intensified their aggression that included repeated missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
The matter that prompted Saudis to ask for help from the United States, which announced in February a halt in US support for the military intervention in Yemen and the withdrawal of important logistical support and intelligence from the Saudi-led military campaign.
The step by the US was seen by Houthis as a green light to continue with their aggression even with the condemnation of the US. The rebel group now is thinking of themselves as war winners who have the right to dictate their terms and reap the gains.
They are even driven by the Iranian desire to consolidate their position on the negotiation table with the US for reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, using the Houthi militia as a pressure card against the international community and the US administration. It is the same destabilising attitude that the Iranians are adopting now in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.
However, the international community should keep it clear for the Iranians that such intolerable behaviour can’t be rewarded in any way.
