UNITED NATIONS, Oct 14 (NNN-XINHUA) – UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said yesterday that, the renewal of a truce agreement that had just expired, remains possible and called for the engagement of the parties.
The truce in Yemen, first enforced on Apr 2, and renewed twice till its expiration on Oct 2, started to alleviate the suffering of Yemeni men and women, and offered a truly historic opportunity to build trust and to work towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
The failure of the parties to agree on the renewal of the truce has caused new uncertainty for the country and a heightened risk of war, he warned.
“The parties now have a choice before them. They can choose to preserve and build on the truce and take the path towards peace, as is expected from them by the Yemeni population. Otherwise, a return to war would mean renewed and increasing suffering for the civilian population,” said Grundberg. “The choice to go back to war would also have destabilising effects for the whole region. And should the cycles of violence and escalation start, it could be long before a window for peace will open again. Yemen urgently needs to avoid this scenario.”
Efforts to not only extend, but also to expand and build on the elements of the truce, have been ongoing since early Jul. On Sept 18, he shared a proposal for a six-month extension and the expansion of the truce with the parties. And in the weeks leading up to the Oct 2 deadline, he intensified discussions. He subsequently shared a revised proposal on Oct 1, said Grundberg.
“I appreciate the position of the government of Yemen, on engaging positively with my proposal, and I regret that Ansar Allah came up with additional demands that could not be met,” he said, using the official name of the rebel Houthi movement. “As I continue to work with both sides to find solutions, I urge them to demonstrate the leadership and flexibility required, to reach an extended and expanded agreement.
“I have just returned from visits to Abu Dhabi and Muscat, where I held important discussions to explore ways forward, in close coordination with Yemen’s neighbours. I personally believe that there is still a possibility for the parties to come to an agreement,” he said.
