Taiz protests no truce extension that allows the Houthis to fight
Dozens of Yemenis demonstrated in the south-western city of Taiz on Tuesday, rejecting the extension of a UN truce and condemning Houthi violations against civilians in the densely populated province.
The demonstration took place on the largest street of Taiz city, which is under siege by the Houthi group. Demonstrators condemned the killing of civilians by Houthi shelling of a residential neighborhood in Taiz city.
A number of demonstrators carried a large banner that read, “We warn against a truce that prevents the national army from fighting, and allows the Houthi militias to kill civilians and blockade cities.”
“The Houthi militia, supported by Iran, does not believe in peace, does not fulfill any covenant or charter, and deals with all conventions, covenants and agreements as opportunities to add its military gains and expand the area of repression and destruction against our people,” a statement issued by the demonstration said.
The statement added, “Since the first day of the truce, the Houthi militia took the gains that were given to them as free rewards, the most important of which were the opening of the port of Hodeidah and the airport of Sanaa. They then tossed away all the promises and pledges they made, foremost among them the opening of the roads of Taiz, which they dealt with by rejecting and reneging.”
The statement called on “Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Command Council, to reject the truce, which has become a cover for the practices of the Houthi militia against children, women and civilians.
The protesters also called on the “Arab coalition led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to shoulder their responsibility by continuing their support and backing, and to work to put an end to the murderous phase of truce, which represented an opportunity for the Houthis to practice killing and destruction under cover of the international community.”
The statement called on the Security Council, the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League to support the Yemeni people and implement the relevant resolutions related to Yemen.
The demonstration followed an attack last Saturday on a residential neighborhood in Taiz, in which a child was killed and 11 others were wounded. The Yemeni government blamed the Houthis for the attack, which the group denied.
In early June, the truce in Yemen was extended for two months after its original term began in early April.
The U.N. envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, is intensifying contacts with the parties to the conflict to extend and expand the truce, as the U.S. moves to push for a new six-month ceasefire initiative and accelerate preparations for a political settlement.
In a statement on Thursday, the UN envoy said he had intensified contacts with the parties “in support of the implementation of all the provisions of the truce and to explore the possibility of expanding its scope and extending its term beyond August 2”.
On Wednesday, the United States began moves to extend the truce in Yemen, as the current truce nears an end, and Washington is seeking a six-month truce, in the hope that a permanent ceasefire will end.
The U.S. administration wants to achieve an achievement in the Yemeni file, with no diplomatic breakthrough in the thorny issues before it since its arrival.
Yemen has been witnessing a bloody conflict for more than seven years between government forces, backed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, and the Houthi group, which has left one of the world’s worst humanitarian and economic crises.
The war has claimed more than 300,000 lives, directly and indirectly, according to UN reports.
