Yemen: Houthi rebels parade in Hodeidah, the UN ‘concerned’
On Thursday, the UN expressed concern over the Houthi rebels’ military parade in the strategic city of Hodeidah (west).
This is reflected in a communiqué issued by the United Nations Mission in Support of the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMIH) in Yemen.
“UNMIH expresses its deep concern over the military parade in Hodeidah today, in violation of the agreement on that city,” the UN mission in Yemen said in a statement.
“UNMIH is closely monitoring the situation and reiterates its call to the leaders of Ansar Allah (Houthis) to fully comply with their obligations under the Hodeidah Agreement, including the removal from the city of all manifestations of the military presence,” the statement continued.
The UN mission stressed that “it is imperative to do everything possible to ensure the protection of the local population through the full implementation of the agreement”.
This is the first Houthi military parade in the coastal city of Hodeidah since late 2018.
On Tuesday evening, UNMIH said it had noted a significant Houthi military presence in the city, and called on Houthi leaders “to refrain from any action that could contribute to an escalation, in the interest of all Yemenis.”
So far, the Houthis have not commented on the UN mission statement in Yemen.
UNMIH was established by Security Council Resolution 2452, shortly after the signing of the Stockholm Agreement in December 2018, between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels.
According to the Stockholm Agreement, the parties to the conflict agreed to the withdrawal of all military elements from the coastal city of Hodeidah (west), a mechanism for implementing the prisoner exchange and a declaration of understanding on Taiz (south-west).
The UN envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced on August 2 that the internationally recognized Yemeni government and Houthi rebels have agreed to extend the truce in force since April 2 in Yemen for another two months.
In early April, the warring parties signed a two-month truce, the first in eight years of conflict, pitting the Houthi rebels – Iran’s allies – against the Yemeni government backed by a Saudi-led Arab military coalition.
The truce was subsequently extended for another two months in early June.
The parties’ obligations in the truce include a ceasefire, the opening of blocked roads in the rebel-besieged city of Taiz, an expansion of flights to and from the airport of the capital Sanaa, which was closed to civilian traffic, and the reopening of ports in the strategic region of Hodeidah (west).
Yemen has been beset by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran’s proxy, the Houthis, took control of most of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.
A Saudi-led coalition went to war in early 2015 to return Yemen’s government to power.
The conflict, which has lasted for eight years, has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
