Dubai: International pressure is piling up on Al Houthi militia in Yemen after they have been accused of stalling negotiations for peace and of using banned anti-personnel landmines, thus causing more multiple civilian casualties.
In the meantime, the UAE and other members of the Arab coalition have been praised for clearing mines and saving lives.
“Landmines have killed at least 12 people and wounded over nine in Yemen’s southern and eastern governorates of Abyan, Aden, Marib, Lahj, and Taez since September 2015,” Human Rights Watch said as it released new evidence of their use, citing Yemeni mine clearance officials, medical professionals, and media reports.
However, the human rights watchdog said it believed the actual number of mine victims in Yemen since September might be much higher.
“The Houthis are killing and maiming civilians with landmines,” it said. “Anti-personnel landmines are indiscriminate weapons that should not be used under any circumstances. Houthis should immediately stop using these horrific weapons and respect Yemen’s obligations under the Mine Ban Treaty.”
The United Nations Human Rights Council should create an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate these and other serious laws-of-war violations by all parties to Yemen’s conflict, it added.
There were numerous casualties from landmines laid by Al Houthi militia before they were forced out of Abyan and Aden in July.
Human Rights Watch said there was no evidence to suggest the Saudi Arabia-led coalition have used landmines in their military operations in Yemen.
“The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has apparently deployed mine clearance vehicles to assist in clearance operations in Aden and Marib. Saudi-coalition forces have also been photographed apparently clearing mines in Marib,” it said.
“The Houthis insist on the seven-point plan which bypasses Security Council Resolution 2216,” Faisal Al Majeedi, a Yemeni expert, said. “This means they want negotiations that fit in with their orientations and not the application of the resolution by the international community. The decision by the government to form its negotiation team means that the Houthi militia now have to make their move and form their team and show that they are not stalling the peaceful settlement,” Al Majeedi said, London-based ‘Al Arab’ daily reported.
Military experts said Al Houthi militia were attempting to make any gains on the ground — even if it meant more people killed — to boost their arguments ahead of the UN-brokered negotiations.
“The Houthis and the renegade troops still loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh became so furious when they saw the Arab Coalition move ahead towards Taez and take up positions in strategic areas that they launched haphazard and hysterical operations in several civilian areas in Taez,” a military expert said, quoted by ‘Al Quds Al Arabi’ daily.
Witnesses told the London-based newspaper that Taez residents were looking forward to their liberation after they long suffered from the tragic revengeful attacks by Al Houthi militia that caused heavy casualties among the population.
“Our patience was running thin, and people were becoming increasingly desperate because of the long overdue intervention from the Coalition forces to rescue us and help us get rid of the Houthi militia,” Ahmad Sarhan Al Sharabi, a witness, said. “But now, we feel there is serious action from the Coalition, the resistance and the national army that will liberate us. We do have enough people who want to join in the fight, but our problem was the necessary equipment to confront Al Houthi and Saleh followers. Now, we will have it.”