Al Mukalla: The Yemen government delegation has received a written commitment from the United Nations that the current round of peace talks in Kuwait would be under the umbrella of agreed references that recognise the legitimacy of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and obliges Al Houthis to end their coup against his government, a move that prompted the government delegation to resume talks.
“The letter includes a pledge from the United Nations that the talks will be within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 2216, the GCC-brokered peace deal and the outcomes of National Dialogue,” a government official privy to discussions told Gulf News on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief reporters.
“The UN Special Envoy to Yemen handed over the letter to the government delegation on Sunday night,” he said.
Last week, the delegation pulled out of talks after Al Houthis refused to accept legitimacy of the internationally recognised President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi. Hadi ordered the delegation to return to talks after his meeting with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Qatari Emir Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha on Saturday.
“Any discussions by any party outside this framework would be deemed as a violation to the commitment. Al Houthis insist on beginning with forming a government and then handing over arms. Based on the references, the government would not include Al Houthis and the party of ousted president alone, rather all forces in the political spectrum in Yemen,” the official said. The UN resolution “stipulates that the consensual government should be formed after all the hijacked government bodies resume duties in the capital, which means the dissolving of Al Houthis’ Revolutionary Committees”, he added.
The government delegates threatened that they would leave Kuwait if Al Houthis violated the UN written commitment. “We will observe their behaviour during discussions. If they speak outside these reference and the UN does not stop them, we will take a decision to withdraw from talks,” he said.
The two warring sides held their first direct meeting on Monday. The official said: “It was an introductory session. The UN envoy gave a speech in which he thanked both delegations. Our representative spoke about our adherence to the framework.”
