Truce agreement victory for Yemeni nation: Abdulsalam

Yemen’s Ansarullah movement says a ceasefire agreed between the warring sides in Yemen is a victory for the war-torn country as it will stop Saudi attacks on the strategic city of Hudaydah.

Ansarullah chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam made the remarks in an interview with Al-Masirah TV, shortly after the warring parties reached a ceasefire agreement after days of UN-brokered talks in Sweden.

Based on the deal, “the existing local authorities will be officially in charge of controlling the city and establishing security there under the supervision of the UN,” Abdulsalam said.

The Ansarullah delegation and Saudi-backed former government agreed that the UN would play a “leading role” in Hudaydah, which is currently controlled by the Ansarullah.

They also agreed to reopen the airport in the capital Sana'a, which was shuttered last year after numerous attacks by Saudi Arabia.

The Riyadh-backed side, which represented former Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi in the Stockholm talks, said on Friday that the Houthis must hand over the key port.

However, Abdulsalam strongly rejected the proposal, saying Hudaydah must be kept apart from the military conflict, and that a government should be formed first before all parties are disarmed.

Saudi-led mercenaries were forced to sit for talks with the Ansarullah movement after their massive operation to invade the port city of Hudaydah failed.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had deployed about 10,000 troops to Yemen's west coast after repeated campaigns to seize Hudaydah were thwarted by the Ansarullah and popular Yemeni forces. 

Ansarullah calls the truce deal a defeat for the Saudis as it stops the aggression, allows existing local protectors who thwarted the Saudi offensive to be in charge of the city, and allows the Yemeni nation to regain their access to food, medicine, and other basic supplies.

Around 14 million people have been pushed to the brink of starvation since the Saudi war began in 2015, according to the UN.

In his remarks, Abdulsalam said there is no sign that the Saudis are going to stop their aggression against the innocent people of Yemen despite the ceasefire deal.

One of the articles of the draft agreement proposed by the Ansarullah delegation is “the complete cessation of military actions in Yemen,” but the Saudi side is rejecting it, he said.

“The UN has two options ahead of itself: it should either start the political process from the scratch or begin the political process from the draft version of the framework deal proposed in Sweden.”

Abdulsalam also called on the Yemenis to remain vigilant, especially in Hudaydah and Tai'zz, and continue supporting the Yemeni army and popular committees.

“Those who have shown resistance against 17 countries for four years can achieve a brilliant victory,” he added.

SS