How Griffiths sought to empower the Houthis from northern Yemen in two years
English - Monday 19 October 2020 الساعة 05:39 pm
Aden, NewsYemen, Exclusive:
Until this moment, the Houthis are seeking to extend all influence over the northern governorates, politically, administratively and militarily, with the exception of those falling under the hands of tribes and legitimacy.
In addition to the ones they recently took over in the Nehm areas and large parts of Marib and Al-Jawf, where they will continue to push them to defend them until the end.
Two days ago, reports indicated that 118 violations were carried out by the Houthi militia in less than 12 hours, in separate areas of Al-Hodeidah governorate, the most important of which is Al-Durhaimi, Hays District, and Kilo 16, as a result of which a number of civilians were killed.
Here some would ask, where did the terms of the Stockholm Agreement that was concluded on December 13, 2018 between the legitimate government and the Houthi militia, which stipulated a complete ceasefire and the withdrawal of all military parties from Hodeidah.
This was done in the presence of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, his special envoy Martin Griffiths and other figures in the Arab coalition.
It was agreed on more than one point, including the file of prisoners and detainees, the removal of all obstacles from the city of Hodeidah and the complete withdrawal from the port within only half a month.
But nothing of that happened. During 14 days, the militia had replaced the traditional Yemeni uniforms with military suits, and lined up at the port in front of the eyes of the international community and the legitimacy, and the committee in charge of normalizing the situation; as if it was an army organized for years.
At that time, the UN envoy did not bother to object to this open detour, rather, he continued his travels between Sana'a, Muscat and Riyadh.
At that time, the work of the monitoring committee was transferred to the deck of a ship in the open sea, with a huge budget, but these measures were nothing but a protocol, like any statements confirming that the results of the consultations are on the right path and are moving towards a comprehensive peace process.
File of detainees
The Houthi group was able to release more than 600 fighters who were captured in the confrontations, in exchange for its release of more than 400 detainees, including 20 Saudis and Sudanese and only 5 journalists, and the rest are prisoners and civilian detainees.
This comes in conjunction with the end of the period of the UN envoy to Yemen, and in order not to end up empty-handed, the prisoner release deal was concluded in this way, and they do not make up even 10% of those who have been imprisoned by the militia for 6 years.
This process was a disappointment to most of those who waited for their children to leave Houthi prisons, as it carried messages that were not reassuring for the upcoming exchange.
Thus, the Yemenis have not yet felt the role of the United Nations in resolving the humanitarian crisis, and it was a miserable reality.
Yesterday, the scene of some of the mothers and children of the kidnapped persons who were not included in the decision to release, expressed the misery of reality and the nature of the negotiations that enabled the militia to take control of all the agreements.
Since the "Peace and Partnership" agreement signed between the Houthis and the rest of the political parties on September 21, 2014, which provided for the settlement of the crisis, stopping confrontations and extending the state's influence, the militia evaded the signing of the security attaché on September 27 of the same month.
The agreement in the capital, Sanaa, between the General People's Congress Party and its allies and the Houthi group on July 28, 2016, which provided for the formation of a political council to manage the country's affairs, but this did not happen due to the hardening of the militia’s decisions and their continued imposition of their agendas supported by the capital, Tehran.
Smooth empowerment
All that has happened has proven that the agreements and their belated implementation are nothing but a tool of political blackmail by the militia, and that those who have kept them for 5 years without a solution is ready to keep them for the next 10 years without hesitation or feeling of remorse.
Evidence that there is collusion and consultations from under the table is the arrival of the Iranian ambassador, Hassan Erlo, to Sanaa on Wednesday 14 October via an Omani plane, with 20 of the ambassador’s staff, most of them experts, according to reports.
In this way, the facts are clear to everyone, after many experts and observers warned the legitimate government, from the first moments of the Stockholm Agreement, against dealing with the militia as equals, but in vain.
Today the Houthi negotiates through their proxies while they are desperate on the fronts, killing civilians and violating the truce whenever they want, in any form and time.
