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2nd LD Writethru: UN Security Council hails announcement of end to hostilities in Yemen

Xinhua, March 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

The UN Security Council on Wednesday welcomed the announcement of a nationwide cease-fire in Yemen and the beginning of peace talks in April, calling on all parties to participate.

"The members of the Security Council urged all parties to the conflict to immediately reduce violence and refrain from any action that could lead to increased tensions, in order to pave the way for a cessation of hostilities," the Security Council said in a statement.

"The members of the Security Council called on all parties to engage in the political talks in a flexible and constructive manner, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 2216 (2015), without preconditions, and in good faith," said the statement.

Earlier in the day, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, special envoy for the UN secretary-general for Yemen, announced at a press briefing that a nationwide cease-fire in Yemen is scheduled to begin at midnight on April 10 and peace talks are scheduled to begin on April 18 in Kuwait.

"The members of the Security Council urged all parties to fulfill their commitments to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, including measures to further ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and they called upon all sides to comply with international humanitarian law and protect civilians," said the statement.

"The members of the Security Council further underlined the importance of the delivery of commercial goods and fuel for civilian purposes to all parts of Yemen as a humanitarian imperative," it said.

The council members expressed their strong support for the UN special envoy and thanked him for his work in establishing the cease-fire and renewing the talks.

The 15-nation Security Council reiterated their strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen, the statement added.

Ahmed said that the talks will focus on five main areas, namely the withdrawal of militias and armed groups, the handover of heavy weapons to the State, interim security arrangements, the restoration of state institutions and the resumption of inclusive political dialogue, and the creation of a special committee for prisoners and detainees.

Previous attempts to implement a cease-fire in the Middle East country have failed to last for long, with each side accusing the other of immediately violating the agreement.

Yemen has been mired in an all-out civil war since September 2014, when the Shiite Houthi group backed by forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh invaded the capital Sanaa and drove President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile.

The war has killed nearly 6,000 people and displaced one in 10 Yemenis. Almost the entire population is in urgent need of aid. Endi