UN chief presses for Ramadan halt to fighting

JEDDAH/GENEVA: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pressed Monday for a halt to fighting in Yemen at the beginning of Ramadan, as the world body launched talks aimed at brokering peace.
Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet, meanwhile, reiterated the Kingdom’s support for the demands of the legitimate Yemeni government by committing to the Riyadh Declaration, Security Council Resolution 2216 on the Yemeni crisis, the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanisms, and the resolutions of the Yemeni national dialogue to resolve the crisis.
Ban, who met in Geneva with some of the delegations involved in the talks, said he had “emphasized the importance of having another humanitarian pause, at least two weeks.” He told reporters: “I’m urging them that, particularly during this Ramadan — which is a period for peace for people, and praying for peace — they must stop.”
Ban said: “The parties have a responsibility to end the fighting and begin a real process of peace and reconciliation,” Ban said, arguing that “the region simply cannot sustain another open wound like Syria and Libya.”
Meanwhile, Yemeni Foreign Minister Riad Yassine said his government could discuss a limited cease-fire with Houthis, but only if the Iran-backed militia withdrew from cities, released more than 6,000 prisoners and complied with a UN resolution.
He told reporters: “If they start complying with the UN resolution, release prisoners they are holding, more than 6,000, including the defense ministers and others, if they withdraw from Aden and Taiz and other cities and stop killing innocent people, then you can discuss.”
About Geneva talks, he, however, added: “I’m not very optimistic,” lamenting that the Houthis “never respect any treaty.”
“They don’t even bother to come,” he said.
Yassine also complained that the rebels had loaded their plane with far more representatives and advisers than had been agreed up.
“They want to come here to make chaos,” he said.