The dove of peace is a fragile creature that lands nervously amid the still-smoking ruins of conflict. Houthi rebels and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh have reaffirmed in writing that they have accepted the UN’s seven-point peace plan. This was embodied in Security Council Resolution 2216. It demands that the Houthis withdraw from all areas seized during the rebellion, not least the capital Sanaa. It also insists that all arms seized from military and security institutions be handed back. The rebels must also accept the legitimacy of the government and abide by all previous UN resolutions.
Yemen’s government has rightly dismissed the Houthi gesture as a “manoeuvre” demanding that the Iran-backed group hand back territory it has seized since last year.
“The government’s position is unchanged. There must be an announcement of willingness to implement all articles of the (UN) resolution without any changes,” President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s Press Secretary Mokhtar Alrahbi said.
It may be imagined that the Houthi compliance with the demands of the international community is not quite what it seems to be. It should be noted that the day before they announced they were accepting the UN terms, the rebels were still launching assaults, one of which killed a large number of government soldiers.
There has to be the suspicion that guided by their Iranian paymasters, the Houthis may be playing for time.
And this was reinforced by the statement coming from the Yemen government, “We consider this (Houthi acceptance) a manoeuvre, especially after the painful strikes they received,” said Alrahbi, referring to the advances by the coalition east of the Yemeni capital Sanaa and the capture of the Bab Al-Mandab strait in southwestern Yemen.
Houthis and their Saleh supporters have a track record of reneging on their commitments. They have mounted several attacks in the past even when there was a pause to allow humanitarian efforts to help the desperate Yemenis.
The UN Resolution is very important as it was supported by everyone of the 15 members of the Security Council with the exception of Russia. But it would only work if Houthis, Saleh and their backers seriously and honestly try to implement the resolution by handing back the territory they have seized since last year.
Hadi had earlier made it clear that his administration was ready “for a peaceful solution and to resume political consultations.” But he said this willingness “hinged only on the side which carried out the coup (Houthis-Saleh) to commit to implement” the UN Security Council resolution.
If the Iranian-backed Houthis are serious in any cease-fire they should act rather than make statements.
Houthis’ offer, however, shows a vindication of the resolute response taken by the Kingdom. The Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm quickly demonstrated the hopelessness of the Houthi rebellion. Many believe that it was only the insistence of their Iranian paymasters and arms providers that kept the Houthis from quickly accepting the pointlessness of fighting on. The relationship between Tehran and their Houthi clients will now be crucial.
Iran has no interest in a peace deal. Therefore it may be imagined that the Houthi acceptance of Resolution 2216 has been greeted with despair in Tehran.
Government forces and their Saudi-led allies are advancing steadily toward Sanaa and this could be one of the reasons that compelled Houthis to accept UN terms. Once Saudi Arabia and its allies launched the operation, the Houthi rebellion was doomed.
The great sadness is that so many lives have since been lost while the rebels struggled to come to terms with that harsh reality. They may yet still be kidding themselves that with renewed Iranian help, they can still fight their way out of the corner into which they have been driven.
It is time for them to hand back all the territory immediately to implement the UN plan before peace could be established.
Houthis should first prove their sincerity
