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Yemen’s warring sides have failed to reach an agreement to extend a nationwide cease-fire, the UN said Sunday, endangering the longest lull in fighting since the country’s bloody civil war began.
In a statement, the UN’s envoy to Yemen called on all sides to refrain from acts of provocation as the talks continue, after the deadline of Oct. 2 for extending the agreement was missed.
The UN-backed truce initially took effect in April, and raised hopes for a longer pause in fighting as Yemen’s civil war entered in its eighth year.
The devastating conflict began in 2014, when the Iranian-backed Houthis seized the capital of Sanaa and much of northern Yemen and forced the government into exile.
In a statement, UN envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said he “regrets that an agreement has not been reached today.” He did not call out the Houthis by name for failing to agree to his proposal but thanked the internationally recognised government for “engaging positively” in talks to extend the cease-fire.
He called on leaders to continue to endeavor to reach an agreement.
“I urge them to fulfill their obligation to the Yemeni people to pursue every avenue for peace,” he said.
On Saturday, the Houthis said that discussions around the truce had reached a “dead-end,” and said that they were continuing to advocate for a full opening of the Sanaa airport, and lifting of the blockade on the key port city of Hodeida.
The Houthis hosted a large military parade last month, showcasing rockets and large weaponry, drawing condemnation from observers.
In the hours leading up to the deadline, a Houthi military spokesman threatened international oil companies still working in the country to leave or their facilities would be seized, saying that the fossil fuels belong to the people of Yemen and could be used to pay public servants’…
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Source : france24
