Even if the UN armistice in Yemen is about to expire on Sunday, Britain emphasised the importance of staying out of the fight.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly urged the Houthis to cooperate constructively with global efforts to mediate the prolongation of the cease-fire in a statement on Saturday.
According to “Arab World News Agency,” he also praised the Yemeni government’s resolve to extending the armistice if agreed upon, accusing the Houthi group of continuing to jeopardise the armistice discussions and denying Yemenis a peaceful future.
He also asked the Houthis to “engage constructively with the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg, to negotiate a cease-fire so that a genuine debate can take place on creating a peaceful and inclusive Yemeni-led future.”
Grundberg had emphasised the political and humanitarian importance of extending the humanitarian truce, which is set to expire on the second of this month.
He also emphasised that if the Houthis remained implacable, the chance would pass and that war might break out once more.
It is significant that the Yemeni parties decided to extend the previous ceasefire for two extra months, under the same circumstances, from August 2 to October 2, 2022, as the UN had declared on the second of last August.
This extension followed a first UN armistice that went into effect in April 2022 and specified the cessation of all offensive military operations by land, sea, and air within Yemen and across its borders. A meeting was also held between the parties to reach an agreement on the opening of roads in Taiz and other areas.
Governorates to allow two flights to and from Sanaa International Airport each week, increase the freedom of movement of people throughout Yemen, and make it easier for 18 ships carrying petroleum to dock at Hodeidah in the west of the country.
UK: Houthi group jeopardises armistice negotiations
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