Despite Houthi intransigence, Yemeni government committed to peace

New attempts are being made to revive a political dialogue between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels, according to a Yemeni official. 
Manea Al-Mutairi, adviser to the Yemeni foreign minister, said the government is ready to take part in a new round of negotiations to resolve the Yemeni crisis.
Al-Mutairi accused Iran-backed Houthi rebels of rejecting all political initiatives that were offered by the United Nations special envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.
Al-Mutairi said Cheikh is trying to revive peace talks despite the Houthis’ refusal to join efforts for a political solution.
The Yemeni government's ongoing efforts will hopefully embarrass the Houthis, he said, adding that they will also prove that the Houthis have their own agenda for the region.
In an interview with Arab News, Al-Mutairi said the Houthis would be interested in participating only in talks that focus on the president in Yemen, while the government refuses discussions on this matter, preferring, instead, to participate in negotiations based on the full implementation of UN Resolution 2216.
"We know that the Houthis have no desire to make a political effort, but the Yemeni government wants to be a part of the international campaign to enhance the political process in the country. 
“The Houthis still receive military support from Iran, which smuggles weapons into Yemen for them, and this foreign support will only push them to pursue a military solution and reject all political proposals to revive the negotiations," he pointed out.
Ambassadors of the G18 Countries Supporting GCC-Sponsored Initiative for Yemen held a meeting with the special envoy, during which he briefed them on the latest developments in the war-torn country and the results of the consultations held in New York on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly.
He also talked about the efforts and actions of the next phase that will hopefully achieve the desired peace in Yemen.
Najeeb Ghallab, a political expert, said the Houthis insist on removing the legitimate Yemeni government and internationally recognized president, rejecting all political efforts to revive talks based a full implementation of UN Resolution 2216. 
"There are no new initiatives, but Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed could give new ideas that do not run counter to the GCC proposals to resolve the crisis. The Yemeni government pursues military operations in parallel with political efforts to resolve the crisis. It wishes to show the world, and its people, that it does not hesitate to be part of all attempts to return stability to the country," he told Arab News.
In another development, the Civil Defense said that it dealt with the aftermath of last week’s Houthi projectile attack which targeted Al-Tawal governorate of the Jazan region.
A Yemeni national was injured and taken to hospital.

Source: Arab News