The United Nations special envoy for Yemen has voiced alarm at widespread violations of a fragile ceasefire, but insisted the ongoing peace talks between the warring sides in Switzerland would continue.
Advertisement
As well as those killed on Saturday, at least another 50 rebels and 40 pro-government troops were reported to have been wounded.
The ceasefire committee will be headed by a Lebanese army general and consist of representatives from the Saudi-backed government of Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and from the rival Houthi movement, which is allied to Iran.
Though the Saudi forces have been the ones on the offensive virtually since this ceasefire began, they continue to insist that it is exclusively the Houthis who are “violating it”, and say they are using the fighting as an excuse not to offer a settlement at the talks. Local affiliates of al-Qaida & the Islamic State group have exploited the chaos to grab land & exercise influence.
Dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles were destroyed in the fighting and most of the dead were killed by air strikes from the Saudi-led coalition that dominates the skies in Yemen.
The development came after the ceasefire, which took effect on Tuesday and was supposed to last a week, was left in tatters after government forces on Friday seized two towns from rebels and their Saudi-led Arab coalition allies accused the insurgents of escalating the conflict by firing ballistic missiles. By Wednesday, at least 42 people had been killed in clashes along several front lines, underscoring the difficulties of achieving progress at the U.N.-brokered peace talks in the Swiss village of Macolin.
Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed “is deeply concerned at the numerous reports of violations of the cessation of hostilities”, his office said in a statement issued late Friday.
The U.N. has urged all factions in the conflict to end the violence and is pressing to keep the talks going.
Advertisement
Government forces are now heading west towards the contiguous rebel strongholds of Amran and Saada provinces, immediately north of the capital, Ukaymi said. The participants spoke anonymously since they were not authorized to brief reporters. Larry is our main news editor.
