RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has lent all possible support to restore peace and security in war-torn Yemen and to reinstate the legitimate government in Sanaa, Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi said here on Sunday.
Speaking at the opening session of the national dialogue on Yemen, Hadi urged the UN Security Council to work on the implementation of Resolution 2216 on Yemen.
Around 400 Yemeni politicians and tribal leaders are attending the three-day reconciliation talks on the future of their country within the framework of the GCC initiative.
Hadi said the national dialogue aimed to “retake the Yemeni state” from the Houthi militant group and allies of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
“This dialogue is the first step toward retaking the Yemeni state after Saleh and the Houthis staged a coup against constitutional legitimacy,” he said.
Hadi thanked Saudi Arabia and the GCC for “swiftly intervening to reclaim legitimacy” in Yemen.
Yemen’s warring factions, except Houthis, are participating in the conference, which Hadi had called for.
Hadi repeated accusations that the rebels had committed a “coup” and abuses against the population. “We are trying to regain our nation from militias backed by external forces,” he said in a reference to Iran. “By God’s will, victory will be near,” vowed Hadi.
“We are coming back to Aden and Sanaa… We are coming back to build a new, united federal Yemen,” he said.
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the newly-appointed UN envoy to Yemen, called for an extension of the five-day truce in Yemen, which was to expire on Sunday evening, by five more days. He urged all parties to “renew their commitment to this truce for five more days at least.” He added:
“This humanitarian truce should turn into a permanent cease-fire.”
The Houthis have rejected joining the talks in Saudi Arabia.
Yemen’s Vice-President Khaled Bahah said that he expected that Houthis would attend future talks even if they did not join this conference.
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