Yemen rivals recognize UN resolution, legitimacy: UN

By Zakaria al-Kamali

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – UN mediator Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that Yemen’s rivals recognize UN Security Council resolution 2216 for resolving the conflict in the Arab country.

On Tuesday, the Yemeni government suspended its participation in UN-brokered talks in Kuwait in protest at what it described as the refusal of the Shia Houthi group to abide by the agenda of the talks.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement that the talks “faced some serious challenges”.

He, however, said that “all challenging issues should be addressed at the negotiation table".

“I reiterate that all parties fully recognize UN Security Council resolution 2216 and the issue of legitimacy,” he said.

Last month, the Yemeni government engaged in a new round of UN-brokered talks with the Houthis and their allies – the forces of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh – in an effort to resolve the conflict, which has caused a major humanitarian crisis in Yemen and displaced around 2.5 million from their homes.

Yemen has been racked by chaos and bloodshed since late 2014, when the Houthis and their allies overran capital Sanaa and other parts of the country, forcing Hadi and his Saudi-backed government to temporarily flee to Riyadh.