Reports: Yemeni Houthis to withdraw its forces from 3 key ports within 4 days

Sputnik
Fri, 10 May 2019 22:12 UTC

© REUTERS Abduljabbar Zeyad

Soldier patrols the port of Hodeidah, Yemen.

Yemen's Houthi rebels have agreed to unilaterally redeploy forces out of three key ports between 11 and 14 of May to pave the way for United Nations management of the facilities under a UN-brokered peace deal, a UN committee said on Friday, cited by Reuters.

The Redeployment Coordination Committee said in a press release, cited by Reuters, it was important that the move is followed by "the committed, transparent and sustained actions of the parties to fully deliver on their obligations". The release stated:

"Lollesgaard [the Redeployment Coordination Committee Lt. Gen. Michael Lollesgaard] welcomes the offer and intention of the Ansar Allah (Houthis) to undertake an initial unilateral redeployment from the ports of Al-Hudaydah, Salif and Ras-Issa. The United Nations Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) will monitor and report on this unilateral redeployment, which will commence on 11 May 2019 and be completed by 14 May 2019."

Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels for years. The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request. The conflict has resulted in a massive humanitarian crisis in the country, with about 22 million people in Yemen currently in need of some form of humanitarian assistance or protection, according to the UN figures.

Last December, the warring parties attended long-awaited UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden. As a result of the meeting, the rebels and the government agreed on a ceasefire in the Yemeni port city of Al Hudaydah - a lifeline for millions facing famine - and an exchange of prisoners, and the establishment of humanitarian corridors.

A UN human rights report released last year attributed most of the 16,000 civilian deaths in Yemen to Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on targets such as hospitals, schools and open-air markets. The report said, however, that all parties to the conflict are likely responsible for war crimes.

Comment: More from Sputnik: Reports of Houthi withdrawal inaccurate, misleading

Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar bin Matthar Iryani: "The decision of the rebel Houthis about the redeployment from the ports of Al Hudaydah, Salif and Ras-Issa beginning on Saturday is inaccurate and misleading and is a play of transferring Al Hudaydah port by the rebels to their militants. Any unilateral redeployment of forces which does not allow for the joint monitoring and control over the provisions of the Stockholm Agreement is an unacceptable equivocation and a trick."

Iryani added that the Yemeni authorities welcomed any moves on the implementation of the Stockholm deal in the area of forces redeployment and warned the Houthis against confusing the international community and the UN Security Council.

See also: Yemeni minister demands Houthis leave Al-Hodeida as settlement talks begin