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7411th Security Council meeting on the situation in Yemen
7411th Meeting (PM)
Reaffirming its strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen, the Security Council today, in an emergency meeting, condemned the ongoing unilateral actions taken by the Houthis that were undermining the political transition process and jeopardizing the country’s security and stability.
On behalf of the 15-member body, François Delattre of France, which holds the March Council presidency, read out a presidential statement condemning in the strongest terms the airstrikes against the Presidential Palace in Aden and attacks at the international airport, as well as the horrific 20 March bomb attacks at the two mosques in Sana’a and Saada, which killed at least 126. Expressing deep concern at the insufficient implementation of resolution 2201 (2015), the Council urged non-State actors to withdraw from Government institutions, including in the south of Yemen, and to refrain from any attempts to take over such institutions.
The Council asserted that the solution to the situation in Yemen was through a peaceful, inclusive, orderly and Yemeni-led political process. The legitimate demands and aspirations of the Yemeni people could be achieved through the process as set out in the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and Implementation Mechanism, the outcome of the comprehensive National Dialogue Conference and the Peace and National Partnership Agreement.
The Council strongly called upon all parties, in particular the Houthis, to abide by the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and Implementation Mechanism and relevant Council resolutions to accelerate inclusive United Nations-brokered negotiations. Calling on all Member States to refrain from external interference and instead to support the political parties, the Council reaffirmed its readiness to take further measures against any party in case of non-implementation of its resolutions on Yemen, in particular resolution 2201 (2015).
Addressing the Council, the representative of Yemen said the entire population deplored and rejected the present coup, adding that aggression continued through a number of attacks that had “left a deep scar”. The only way to exit the crisis was to adhere to Security Council resolution 2201 (2015). In that regard, he reiterated a call for all armed elements to retreat from Sana’a and other Yemeni cities, as well as for the return of all plundered heavy weaponry.
Urging the Council to “curb the drums of war” propagated by the promotors of the coup, fuelled by Iranian ambitions in Yemen, he called on all Yemeni political elements to be aware of the gravity of the situation and to take part in the Gulf Cooperation Council negotiations to prevent the country from falling into partition, strife and violence.
Briefing the Council via videoconference, Jamal Benomar, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Yemen, said recent events seemed to be leading the country further away from a peaceful settlement and towards the edge of civil war. Providing a chronology of events leading up to the latest violence, including suicide attacks and the bombing of the presidential compound, he said there was a prevailing sense among Yemenis that the situation was on a rapid downward spiral.
Against the background of the new developments, some questioned the utility of continuing the United Nations-facilitated negotiations, he said. “This leads me to repeat the question: what alternative do we have?”, he asked. It would be an illusion to think that the Houthis could mount an offensive and succeed in taking control of the entire country and it would be equally false to think that President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi could assemble sufficient forces to liberate the country from the Houthis, he warned.
Any side that would want to push the country in either direction would be inviting a protracted conflict in the vein of an Iraq-Libya-Syria combined scenario, he continued. Peaceful dialogue was the only option, he said, adding that the Houthis and the President were both crucial to the solution.
Speaking for the Gulf Cooperation Council, the representative of Qatar reaffirmed its full support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen. Rejecting unilateral measures taken by the Houthis, the Gulf Council was keen to hold on to President Hadi’s legitimacy and to bring security to Yemen, so it could resume its political process. “We hope that Yemen is not going to become a headquarters for terrorist organizations,” she said.
In light of the atrocities and violations committed, she called on the Council to take “practical and urgent measures” to ensure that its resolutions were implemented in accordance with Chapter VII of the Charter. The current situation, she said, required the international community to take its responsibilities seriously.
The meeting began at 3:04 p.m. and ended at 3:47 p.m.
