Peace deal announced between Yemeni government, separatists [Update #115]

[Badsha]

Why Muslims world is so silent about Yehmen? - So much hue and Cry about Muslims been killed when non-muslims does it, but when it's done by Saudis, its all Kosher

When Saudis and Chinese treat other muslims like dirt or massacre them, Pakistanis tend to look the other way, is this also part of National Security policy?

A MAJORITY of Muslims do not like this and I know a MAJORITY dislike the Saudi regime. If you are going to cherry pick some groups from Pakistan then you need to educate yourself rather than staying Ignorant.

 

[TM Riddle]

The arab phobia on here is crazy. Do people realize the children that died here were ALSO arabs?

As for this news, unfortunately it does not even come as a surprise knowing Saudi Arabia. The one place that truly needs an American invasion is living free bombing innocents and promoting violence.

I get the Saudi hate even though it's the govt we should be criticizing but lumping a whole ethnic group which is spread over a huge region in one category is massively hypocritical of some of the guys here.

 

[Loralai]

I remember reading that airstrikes in Yemen are conducted by the Islamic Military Alliance, commanded by our very own Raheel bhai( https://tribune.com.pk/story/1738578/6-pakistans-role-yemen-conflict/)

Maybe Pakistan government should ask Raheel to withdraw from his position as it marks a divergence from official Pakistani position of not being involved in Yemen.

 

[slipcatch]

Not in this thread, but i personally know Desis who support Saudis in everything, including bombing schoolkids

Their excuse is "do you know what words "they" use against Hadhrat Abu Bakr"

Gulf Arabs supporting this is because of nationalistic reasons

And south asians and others do it because they think its a religious duty....

Sure I know few, too. And they will always exist, but how many do you see on this thread supporting Al-Saud.

Just because you know few does not mean everyone.

 

[Varun]

A MAJORITY of Muslims do not like this and I know a MAJORITY dislike the Saudi regime. If you are going to cherry pick some groups from Pakistan then you need to educate yourself rather than staying Ignorant.

I think the problem is that this majority only state they don't like it once pushed or prodded to give their opinion. When it comes to Palestine or Kashmir on the other hand, the opinions come out like a fire hydrant with the water mains at full flow.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Saudi major-general Abdulrahman Al Qahtani appears on Saudi television show, accuses Canada of supporting terrorism <a href="https://t.co/Y81NILOQP4">https://t.co/Y81NILOQP4</a></p>— İyad el-Baghdadi | إياد البغدادي (@iyad_elbaghdadi) <a href="https://twitter.com/iyad_elbaghdadi/status/1026898711736197120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Guest "expert" on Saudi television: Canada had the world's highest rates of persecution of women <a href="https://t.co/ibLyz93l4n">https://t.co/ibLyz93l4n</a></p>— İyad el-Baghdadi | إياد البغدادي (@iyad_elbaghdadi) <a href="https://twitter.com/iyad_elbaghdadi/status/1026932365208236032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[DeadBall]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Saudi major-general Abdulrahman Al Qahtani appears on Saudi television show, accuses Canada of supporting terrorism <a href="https://t.co/Y81NILOQP4">https://t.co/Y81NILOQP4</a></p>— İyad el-Baghdadi | إياد البغدادي (@iyad_elbaghdadi) <a href="https://twitter.com/iyad_elbaghdadi/status/1026898711736197120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Guest "expert" on Saudi television: Canada had the world's highest rates of persecution of women <a href="https://t.co/ibLyz93l4n">https://t.co/ibLyz93l4n</a></p>— İyad el-Baghdadi | إياد البغدادي (@iyad_elbaghdadi) <a href="https://twitter.com/iyad_elbaghdadi/status/1026932365208236032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

سخافة زيادة

 

[James]

Sad. A disgusting excuse for a country.

 

[DeadBall]

Sad. A disgusting excuse for a country.

Made in Britain. Ruining lives in Yemen.

The UK is a major supplier of arms and other military equipment to Saudi Arabia.

Last year, the UK issued arms exports worth £2.94 billion to Saudi Arabia in a period of just nine months. They recently diverted a batch of 500-pound ‘Paveway IV’ bombs to Saudi Arabia. These bombs are used by Tornado and Typhoon fighter jets, both of which are manufactured and supplied to Saudi Arabia by the UK arms company BAE Systems.

With so many missiles sent to Saudi Arabia, we decided the UK government must be running low on supplies. So we delivered five (phony) missiles to Downing Street to replenish their stock.

Since the conflict began, the UK government has issued a further 37 arms export licenses. The UK has also refused to condemn the use of internationally banned cluster bombs as it has done in other global conflicts.



Civilians caught in the middle
Thousands have been killed and injured, and a humanitarian crisis has spiralled. Four out of five Yemenis today rely on humanitarian assistance in order to survive.

The coalition forces have carried out a series of air strikes targeting schools that were still in use. We investigated five strikes on schools between August and October that killed five civilians and injured at least 14 others, including four children.

In total 254 schools have been completely destroyed, 608 are partially damaged and 421 are being used as shelters.

There is no access to essential services including clean water and electricity, and food prices have soared creating a desperate situation for millions of people. Access to health care is also restricted with medical centres shut down, frequent attacks on medical staff and dwindling supplies of electricity, fuel, medication and surgical equipment.

Hospital bombing
A hospital supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in northern Yemen was bombed on 26 October 2015. This attack may amount to a war crime and demands an urgent, independent and thorough investigation.



Children among the dead
In one airstrike on a home in Dammaj valley coalition forces killed eight children from the same family, and injured nine other relatives.

‘There were 19 people in the house when it was bombed. All but one were women and children. The children who would usually be outside during the day were in the house because it was lunchtime. They were all killed or injured. One of the dead was a 12-day-old baby.’

Abdullah Ahmed Yahya al-Sailami, whose one-year-old son was among those killed

Our researchers have found a pattern of appalling disregard for civilian lives displayed by the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition which has declared the entire cities of Sa’da and nearby Marran as military targets. We also have evidence of the use of internationally-banned cluster bombs.


We must not supply weapons that could be used to commit human rights violations or war crimes. There must also be an independent enquiry into the supply of arms to Saudi Arabia and all parties currently involved into Yemen conflict.

On 24 March 2016, we delivered more than 30,000 signatures calling for an end to the UK's arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/exposed-british-made-bombs-used-civilian-targets-yemen

 

[KingKhanWC]

Sad. A disgusting excuse for a country.

Its the regime, dictatorship which is the issue. UK has dropped many more bombs in recent years but the people are not to blame either.

Let's not forget these people were installed by the British and are now being sold weapons with the British government knowing full well, civilians are being targeted.

 

[shaz619]

Arabia is a massive region comprising various nationalities.
Sure you don't mean every Arab?

Not every Arab, mostly Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE. Some say am an Indian hater but I'd side with your people when they are being oppressed by those Arabs who deem themselves to be superior on every level. They are spoilt, thick and lack humanity; it is disgusting to see a certain group of asians worship them despite the fact that they are seen as low life vermin without their western nationalities. I've not been on the receiving end of their bigotry but at the end of the day my origin is south asian and I got to be a heartless fool to ignore the persecution of south asian people in the gulf, I refuse to be an uncle tom like the majority.

 

[James]

Made in Britain. Ruining lives in Yemen.

The UK is a major supplier of arms and other military equipment to Saudi Arabia.

Last year, the UK issued arms exports worth £2.94 billion to Saudi Arabia in a period of just nine months. They recently diverted a batch of 500-pound ‘Paveway IV’ bombs to Saudi Arabia. These bombs are used by Tornado and Typhoon fighter jets, both of which are manufactured and supplied to Saudi Arabia by the UK arms company BAE Systems.

With so many missiles sent to Saudi Arabia, we decided the UK government must be running low on supplies. So we delivered five (phony) missiles to Downing Street to replenish their stock.

Since the conflict began, the UK government has issued a further 37 arms export licenses. The UK has also refused to condemn the use of internationally banned cluster bombs as it has done in other global conflicts.



Civilians caught in the middle
Thousands have been killed and injured, and a humanitarian crisis has spiralled. Four out of five Yemenis today rely on humanitarian assistance in order to survive.

The coalition forces have carried out a series of air strikes targeting schools that were still in use. We investigated five strikes on schools between August and October that killed five civilians and injured at least 14 others, including four children.

In total 254 schools have been completely destroyed, 608 are partially damaged and 421 are being used as shelters.

There is no access to essential services including clean water and electricity, and food prices have soared creating a desperate situation for millions of people. Access to health care is also restricted with medical centres shut down, frequent attacks on medical staff and dwindling supplies of electricity, fuel, medication and surgical equipment.

Hospital bombing
A hospital supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in northern Yemen was bombed on 26 October 2015. This attack may amount to a war crime and demands an urgent, independent and thorough investigation.



Children among the dead
In one airstrike on a home in Dammaj valley coalition forces killed eight children from the same family, and injured nine other relatives.

‘There were 19 people in the house when it was bombed. All but one were women and children. The children who would usually be outside during the day were in the house because it was lunchtime. They were all killed or injured. One of the dead was a 12-day-old baby.’

Abdullah Ahmed Yahya al-Sailami, whose one-year-old son was among those killed

Our researchers have found a pattern of appalling disregard for civilian lives displayed by the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition which has declared the entire cities of Sa’da and nearby Marran as military targets. We also have evidence of the use of internationally-banned cluster bombs.


We must not supply weapons that could be used to commit human rights violations or war crimes. There must also be an independent enquiry into the supply of arms to Saudi Arabia and all parties currently involved into Yemen conflict.

On 24 March 2016, we delivered more than 30,000 signatures calling for an end to the UK's arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/exposed-british-made-bombs-used-civilian-targets-yemen

Thank you and I know. Shame on the British government for its stance toward Saudi Arabia.

 

[coy0607]

To get 1-2 militants (maybe) you blow up 30+ kids?

They've lost their minds.

and in doing so you probably created 10 new ones

 

[shortbread]

Thank you and I know. Shame on the British government for its stance toward Saudi Arabia.

The UK government lost the idea of having a stance for any issue long time ago. Now it's simply the art of flexing non-existent power. Bin Salman has been playing the conservative government with the offer of letting LSE host the Aramco IPO, knowing fully well the city financial mechanism holds huge influence on the government. The UK government played along like a pet monkey only to be told they are likely scrapping the IPO plans last month.

 

[yasir]

A MAJORITY of Muslims do not like this and I know a MAJORITY dislike the Saudi regime. If you are going to cherry pick some groups from Pakistan then you need to educate yourself rather than staying Ignorant.

Like Majority of Pakistanis don’t like military involvement in politics...

Military establishment, religious main stream and media, all look other way when it comes to Saudis for a reason. They are one of their creditors, who are very vary of criticism of their Policies. After Canada episode, even US is going to be quite.

Amount of coverage Isreal get in Pakistani media, even for an event half as brutal as this tell you the true picture. This Yemen project is going on for 2/3 years, but nobody talks about it in media all over the world, not just Pakistan.

 

[Mamoon]

Thank you Raheel Sharif.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

More children blown up in Yemen.

Houthi rebels say at least 30 people were killed in an air raid near Hodeidah, at least 20 of them children.

The latest civilian casualties come two weeks after an aerial bombardment that destroyed a school bus, killing 40 children.

Saudi Arabia declared the earlier attack an appropriate military strike, but has promised to investigate.

The charity Save the Children has estimated that an average of 140 children have been killed every day since Saudi Arabia and the UAE began their bombing campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018...killed-saudi-uae-bombing-180824135813093.html

 

[troodon]

^ Attacking another nation and killing children like this is terrible.

All Muslim countries should boycott Saudi Arabia and put pressure on them.

 

[PakLFC]

As long as Pak keeps out of this war I am satisfied. I have lost complete hope that Arab's will ever change. After finally securing some peace in the country we don't want to again get involved in someone else's war.

 

[blackanhyellow]

Does anyone need more evidence that Saudi regime is against muslims?

War crimes in Yemen beyond measure, they support Israel against Palestine, spread their violent ideology throughout the world, use the Hajj as a political tool in certain cases, are an extension of US influence in the region essentially.

 

[JaDed]

Maybe its time to boycott oil from Saudi Arabia, if your local gas station imported from Pakistan,boycott them!

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The United States provided the weapons and air support for the bombs that slaughtered 40 children on a school bus during a field trip. <br><br>Now the review admits it was all a big mistake. <br><br>THIS IS A WAR CRIME. <br><br>Absolutely atrocious. Devastating. <a href="https://t.co/ihcS316NJj">https://t.co/ihcS316NJj</a></p>— Shaun King (@shaunking) <a href="https://twitter.com/shaunking/status/1036249058237718529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[msb314]

Thank you Raheel Sharif.

What is the connection?

 

[Gabbar Singh]

10 years later.....

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yemen's Houthi rebels release footage of a major attack into Saudi Arabia that killed or wounded 500 soldiers with thousands of others surrendering <a href="https://t.co/OzwQoNeCZI">https://t.co/OzwQoNeCZI</a> <a href="https://t.co/JCfjNX61Iq">pic.twitter.com/JCfjNX61Iq</a></p>— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/1178325173445025794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Pakpak]

10 years later.....

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yemen's Houthi rebels release footage of a major attack into Saudi Arabia that killed or wounded 500 soldiers with thousands of others surrendering <a href="https://t.co/OzwQoNeCZI">https://t.co/OzwQoNeCZI</a> <a href="https://t.co/JCfjNX61Iq">pic.twitter.com/JCfjNX61Iq</a></p>— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/1178325173445025794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Their defense budget is the third largest in the world, close to $90 Billion. What an utter and colossal waste.

 

[Professor]

So even Yemeni rebels have footage of their attacks but India doesn’t have any of the balakot encounter that apparently killed 300 people.

 

[ahsan17]

So even Yemeni rebels have footage of their attacks but India doesn’t have any of the balakot encounter that apparently killed 300 people.

You are supposed to just believe it. Because NaMo and BJP said it.

 

[Professor]

You are supposed to just believe it. Because NaMo and BJP said it.

It could also be that yemeni rebels have better technology that allows them to record. IMO India should contact them, there is no shame in that.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yemen: Houthis release 350 prisoners including 3 Saudis <a href="https://t.co/pmCYyzjYEX">https://t.co/pmCYyzjYEX</a> <a href="https://t.co/3HqCYeLzE2">pic.twitter.com/3HqCYeLzE2</a></p>— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiddleEastMnt/status/1178637618931814400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[ReverseHit]

So even Yemeni rebels have footage of their attacks but India doesn’t have any of the balakot encounter that apparently killed 300 people.

Ermm..did the US release video of the Osama kill? Did your army release any videos of the attacks they did on the TTP?

Learn to differentiate between a bunch of rebels who want to gain attention and show a strong hand to strengthen their claim of control/victory over an area vs established states who do not publish videos of their offensive operations.

 

[Pakpak]

Ermm..did the US release video of the Osama kill? Did your army release any videos of the attacks they did on the TTP?

Learn to differentiate between a bunch of rebels who want to gain attention and show a strong hand to strengthen their claim of control/victory over an area vs established states who do not publish videos of their offensive operations.

US didn't need to release the video, the building they hit was ruined which was evidence enough. We have released the video of our strike in Kashmir, its not a hard thing to do. As for our army, there are countless pictures of operations all over social media whenever we took on the TTP. There was even a BBC or Al Jazeera documentary following the army around ten years ago when they were fighting in Swat.

Brainwashed Indians are the worst beings I have ever come across.

 

[sweep_shot]

Yemen's southern separatists have struck a power-sharing deal with the internationally-recognised government aimed at ending a conflict simmering within the country's long-running civil war, sources on both sides said on Friday.

The deal would see the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) handed a number of ministries, and the government return to the southern city of Aden, according to officials and reports in Saudi media.

The Security Belt Forces — dominated by the STC — in August took control of Aden, which had served as the beleaguered government's base since it was ousted from the capital Sanaa by Iran-backed Huthi rebels in 2014.

The clashes between the separatists and government forces — who for years fought on the same side against the Huthis — had raised fears the country could break apart entirely.

The warring factions have in recent weeks been holding indirect and discreet talks mediated by Saudi Arabia in the kingdom's western city of Jeddah.

“We signed the final draft of the agreement and are waiting for the joint signature within days,” an STC official currently in Riyadh told AFP.

Both Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and STC leader Aidarous al-Zoubeidi are expected to attend a ceremony in Riyadh, he added.

A Yemeni government official, declining to be named, confirmed the deal had been agreed and was expected to be signed by Tuesday.

It sets out “the reformation of the government, with the STC included in a number of ministries, and the return of the government to Aden within seven days after the agreement being signed,” he told AFP.

Saudi Arabia's Al-Ekhbariya state television said a government of 24 ministers would be formed, “divided equally between the southern and northern governorates of Yemen”.

Under the deal, the Yemeni prime minister would return to Aden to “reactivate state institutions”, it added.

Al-Ekhbariya said the Saudi-led military coalition which backs the government against the Huthis would oversee a “joint committee” to implement the agreement.

Uneasy allies
The military coalition led by Saudi and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) intervened in Yemen in 2015 as the Huthi rebels closed in on Aden, prompting Hadi to flee into Saudi exile.

The conflict has since killed tens of thousands of people — most of them civilians — and driven millions more to the brink of famine in what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Complicating the fighting in Yemen are deep schisms within the anti-Huthi camp. The supposedly pro-government forces in the south, where power is centred, include pro-independence factions from the north.

The south was an independent state before being forcibly unified in 1990, and the STC has said it wants to regain its lost status.

The separatists have received support and training from the UAE, even though it is a key pillar in the Saudi-led coalition.

Abu Dhabi accuses Yemeni authorities of allowing extremist elements to gain influence within their ranks.

The mistrust between the allies has posed a headache for regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, which remains focused on fighting the Huthis who are aligned with Riyadh's arch foe Iran.

The UAE earlier this month handed over to Saudi forces key positions in Aden in a bid to defuse the tensions, and to support the negotiations towards a power-sharing deal.

Riyadh in recent days appointed a new foreign minister whose complicated portfolio also includes efforts to strike a broader Yemen peace deal.

The Huthis have offered to halt all attacks on Saudi Arabia as part of a peace initiative to end the devastating conflict, later repeating their proposal despite continued air strikes from the Saudi-led coalition.

The offer came after the Huthis claimed responsibility for attacks on September 14 against two key Saudi oil installations that temporarily knocked out half of the OPEC giant's production.

Riyadh and Washington, however, blamed Iran for the attacks — a charge denied by Tehran.

Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1512865/yemen-govt-strikes-power-sharing-deal-with-southern-rebels-sources.

 

[PakLFC]

I do not care what the Arab's do. If Kashmir is not their problem then the Middle East and Saudi-Yemen war is not ours. So glad that we refused to get involved in Arab wars.

 

[sweep_shot]

BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:45 A.M.) – The Sudanese Army has suffered more than 8,000 casualties since they joined the Arab Coalition’s military intervention in Yemen, the Ansrallah forces announced on Saturday via Al-Masirah TV.

According to the Ansrallah statement, of the 8,000+ Sudanese Army casualties were 4,253 dead soldiers.

Brigadier General Yahya Seri’i, the spokesman for the Ansarallah forces, said that “the total losses for the mercenaries of the Sudanese Army since the beginning of the aggression exceeds 8,000 killed and wounded, including 4,253 dead.”

This number has since been refuted by the Sudanese Army, who later accused the Ansarallah forces of spreading disinformation.

“Thee death toll announced by the Houthis (Ansarallah) is not supported by any logic,” Sudanese Army spokesman Brigadier General Amer Al-Hassan told Russia Today television .

“The Sudanese army fought a civil war for about 21 years and did not lose all that number of lives,” he would add.

Source: https://www.almasdarnews.com/articl...ldiers-killed-in-yemen-since-2015-ansarallah/.

 

[Abdullah719]

Peace deal announced between Yemeni government, separatists

Spoiler

Yemen's internationally recognised government and UAE-backed separatists have signed a power-sharing deal to halt infighting.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the agreement between the Yemeni government and southern separatists to end a power struggle in the war-torn country's south, Saudi state TV reported on Tuesday.

Crown Prince Mohammed described the "Riyadh Agreement" as a crucial step towards a political solution to end Yemen's bloody four-year war.

"This agreement will open a new period of stability in Yemen. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands with you," the Saudi crown prince said at a signing ceremony in Riyadh aired on state television.

"It's a joyful day in Saudi as the two sides come together."

The agreement will result in a government reshuffle to include the separatists with equal representation, and their armed forces will be placed under government control.

All military and security forces will be incorporated into the defence and interior ministries.

Peter Salisbury, Yemen expert at the Crisis International Group, a Brussels-based think-tank, said the agreement solves two short-term problems - if it can be successfully implemented.

It prevents a war-within-a-war between the southern separatists and Hadi's government. It also provides more credibility to future government negotiations with the Houthis.

However, Salisbury cautioned the deal "is loosely worded and open to interpretation ... and sets an ambitious timeline for implementation".

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019...i-government-separatists-191105145143441.html

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pakistan welcomes the conclusion of the landmark Riyadh Agreement, as a result of the initiative taken by the Saudi leadership and support by UAE Government. We believe it is a crucial and important step forward towards a political solution and durable peace & security in Yemen.</p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1192044185978916865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Yemen's government has signed a power-sharing deal with separatists in the south of the country that is intended to end months of infighting.

The two are meant to be part of an alliance with a Saudi-led multinational coalition that has been battling the rebel Houthi movement since 2015.

But in August, separatists supported by the UAE seized control the city of Aden from Saudi-backed government forces.

The UN said the deal was an important step towards ending Yemen's civil war.

The conflict has devastated the country and claimed the lives of at least 7,000 civilians, according to the UN.

Monitors believe the death toll is far higher. The US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) said last week that it had recorded more than 100,000 fatalities, including 12,000 civilians killed in direct attacks.

The fighting has also triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Four-fifths of the population - 24 million people - are in need of humanitarian assistance or protection, including 10 million who rely on food aid to survive.

Why is there a war in Yemen?
Separatists seeking independence for south Yemen, which was a separate country before unification with the north in 1990, formed an uneasy alliance with President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi four years ago to stop the Houthis capturing Aden.

They subsequently drove the rebels out of much of the south with the help of the Saudi-led coalition, and Aden became the temporary seat of Mr Hadi's cabinet.

But in August, the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) turned on the president, accusing his government of mismanagement and criticising his ties to Islamists. Following several days of deadly clashes, militia fighters aligned to the STC seized control of Aden from troops loyal to the government.

When the government tried to retake the city, the UAE intervened with air strikes.

Saudi Arabia brokered a truce before hosting talks that led to Tuesday's deal.

A copy of the agreement seen by Reuters news agency calls for the formation of a new cabinet within 30 days with equal numbers of northerners and southerners.

The STC will also be allowed to join any UN-mediated talks to end the civil war.

Fighters from both sides will be placed under the command of the defence and interior ministries, and the Saudi forces will oversee security inside Aden, according to Reuters. The UAE, which has been withdrawing troops from Yemen since July, handed over control of Aden to them last month.

"This agreement will open a new period of stability in Yemen. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands with you," Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said.

The UN's special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said it was an "important step for our collective efforts to advance a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Yemen".

"Listening to southern stakeholders is important to the political efforts to achieve peace in the country," he added.

US President Donald Trump, who has maintained logistical and intelligence support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen despite strong opposition in Congress, tweeted: "A very good start! Please all work hard to get a final deal."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50306171

 

[sweep_shot]

ADEN: Yemen’s internationally recognised government returned to the war-torn country on Monday for the first time since it was forced out by southern separatists during clashes last summer.

Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed landed in Aden, fulfilling a key point in the power-sharing deal brokered by Saudi Arabia that ended months of infighting with separatists in Yemen’s south.

The government’s priorities in the next stage are to normalise the situation in Aden first and then consolidate state institutions on the ground ... as a guarantor of stability, Saeed said when he disembarked onto the tarmac.

He described the government’s return as foundational for the improvement of civic services, but added that security challenges cannot be overlooked, especially at this stage.

Saeed, accompanied by five key ministers from President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s government, was received by local officials and Saudi forces at the air base.

“Today we are uniting our efforts to defeat the Iranian project in Yemen and restore the state,” the government said in a statement.

In August, the separatists, backed by the United Arab Emirates, overran Aden and drove out forces loyal to President Hadi, who has been based in Saudi Arabia since 2015.

The outbreak of violence between nominal partners in the Saudi-led coalition’s war against Iran-allied Houthi rebels added a new twist to the country’s complex civil war that had further dimmed hopes of an international solution to the conflict.

Hadi’s ministers were expected to return last Tuesday. But officials blamed southern secessionists for delaying the deal’s implementation and refusing to hand over the city headquarters and presidential palace.

The power-sharing deal, signed earlier this month in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh, calls for both sides to pull their forces out of Aden. That leaves the city under the coalition’s control, with only a presidential guard for Hadi’s protection if the exiled president were to return.

The agreement also asks that the separatists break up their militias and integrate them into Hadi’s forces.

“The plan for incorporating the security services needs to be clear and transparent,” Saeed said. “We have the support of the Saudis and the coalition leaders, factors that will help to implement the agreement through promising steps on the ground,” he added.

The war has killed over 100,000 people, displaced millions and pushed the country to the brink of major famine.

Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1517589/yemeni-govt-back-in-aden-under-peace-deal.

 

[sweep_shot]

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, as efforts to end the nearly five-year war in Yemen gain momentum.

Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are close allies and key members of a military coalition backing the government in Yemen against the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels.

But an Emirati drawdown in July followed by fighting in southern Yemen between UAE-backed separatists and the government — still backed by Riyadh — had exposed rifts between the two Gulf powerhouses.

Earlier this month, a power-sharing agreement brokered by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi was reached between the southern secessionists and the Yemeni government.

This has raised hopes for peace talks to end the war in Yemen's main theatre, between the coalition-backed central government and the Huthis.

The Saudi crown prince's visit reflects “agreement between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh... in addressing regional challenges”, the official UAE state news agency WAM reported.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan greeted Prince Mohammed at the capital's airport. The streets of Abu Dhabi were lined with Emirati and Saudi flags, while road signs that usually display traffic warnings greeted Prince Mohammed.

The sound of fighter jets resonated across Abu Dhabi's skies as the two leaders headed together to the opulent presidential palace, where Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler was greeted with the classic Saudi song “You are the King”.

This comes a day after the Saudi-led military coalition said it will release 200 Yemeni Huthi rebels and permit some flights from the insurgent-held capital Sanaa.

The initiatives coincided with a lull in Huthi attacks on Saudi Arabia launched from Yemeni soil and come after a senior official in Riyadh this month said it had an “open channel” with the Iran-aligned rebels.

Patients needing medical care will be allowed to be flown out of Sanaa airport, which has been closed to commercial flights since 2016, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said in a statement on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in Yemen's war in March 2015, shortly after the Huthis seized the capital Sanaa.

Since then, tens of thousands of people — most of them civilians — have been killed and millions displaced in what the UN has termed the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Prince Mohammed's visit also comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is seeking to attract investment in its oil giant Aramco's initial public offering, which could be the world's largest flotation.

According to Bloomberg, Abu Dhabi intends to invest as much as $1.5 billion (1.35 billion euros) in the listing.

Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1519167/saudi-crown-prince-visits-uae-amid-push-to-end-yemen-war.

 

[sweep_shot]

SANAA: Some 128 Houthi rebels detained in Saudi Arabia were released and flown to the Yemeni capital on Thursday, as efforts to end the five-year conflict gain momentum.

Prisoners arrived in Sanaa on three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) planes and were met at the airport by rebel commanders and some family members.

Some prisoners were helped off the plane into wheelchairs, while others lifted their white robes to show sores to a photographer.

“The treatment we received [in Saudi Arabia] was very bad,” said 35-year-old Abdel Raqib al-Abadi.

He said he hoped for peace but added if “Saudi aggression” continued, the war would continue “until victory”.

The mother of another former detainee said: “My feelings are indescribable. May God return all the other wounded and prisoners to their mothers and families.”

The Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said earlier this week that it would release 200 Houthi prisoners and also allow patients needing medical care to be flown out of Sanaa airport, which has been closed to commercial flights since 2016.

Riyadh and its allies intervened in the Yemen war in March 2015 to back the internationally recognised government, shortly after the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized Sanaa.

The prisoners released on Thursday had been captured in various parts of Yemen between 2015 and earlier this year.

“The ICRC sees the release as a positive step and hopes that it will spur further releases and repatriations of conflict-related detainees,” the global body said in a statement.

Outside the main gate of the airport, hundreds of people gathered to see the detainees and check if they were people they knew who had gone missing during the war.

On Tuesday, United Nations envoy Martin Griffiths welcomed the coalition’s decision to release the rebels after meeting with Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi deputy defence minister.

“Griffiths thanked [Saudi Arabia] for announcing the release of the 200 detainees and the opening of Sanaa airport for mercy flights that would allow Yemenis to receive much-needed medical treatment abroad,” his office tweeted.

The initiatives coincide with a lull in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and come after a senior official in Riyadh this month said it had an “open channel” with the Iran-backed rebels.

However, sporadic violence continues on the ground, with at least 10 civilians killed and 22 wounded, including four children and a woman in an attack on Wednesday in a market in northern Saada, the UN said.

The decision to repatriate the detai*nees has been hailed by the Houthis, with senior official Mohammed Ali al-Houthi calling for a “mass reception” to welcome the released rebels.

Since 2015, tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced by Yemen’s conflict, which the UN has termed the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1519484/128-houthi-prisoners-freed-in-saudi-arabia-flown-to-yemen.

 

[SensiblePakFan]

About time they end this useless war against shias, same goes for bahrain

 

[sweep_shot]

Aid agencies have welcomed news from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen that it will allow some flights out of Houthi-held Sana’a, for Yemeni civilians requiring life-saving medical treatment.

As many as 32,000 people in need of overseas medical care may have died since the airport closed to commercial flights in August 2016, according to ministry of health estimates. The figures have not been verified independently, but in 2017 the UN estimated that up to 20,000 people had been denied access to potentially life-saving healthcare due to restrictions on airspace.

The war has left Yemen’s already fragile health system weakened. Fewer than half of health facilities are fully operational, medicine is in short supply and 80% of the population, about 24 million people, are in need of humanitarian assistance. About 10 million of them are on the brink of starvation.

Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), said: “For the last three years the Sana’a airport closure has been a death sentence for thousands of women, children and men who died prematurely because they were unable to get treatment abroad. Today’s move comes too late for them, but will hopefully save the lives of other Yemenis caught in the conflict and with no available treatment in the country.”

The NRC is one of several aid agencies that have lobbied for the reopening of the airport for medical flights and for humanitarian supplies.

“We hope all warring parties and their sponsors seize this moment to turn the tide against this war,” said Egeland. “The blockade must end: restrictions on humanitarian goods, commercial imports of food, fuel and medicine, and the closure of seaports, have thrown Yemen down a dark valley of intolerable suffering. Over 10 million people are on the brink of starvation. The conflict needs to end so that millions of families can start rebuilding their lives.”

The closure of Sana’a airport means the only option for sick patients in and around Yemen’s largest city requiring urgent treatment abroad is to travel by road to Aden or Seiyun in the south to fly out of the country. It is an arduous route that can take up to 24 hours and involves crossing multiple checkpoints.

Aaron Brent, Yemen’s country director for NGO Care, described the announcement of the airport reopening as a “very positive signal” that parties to the conflict are taking the wellbeing of Yemen’s people seriously. Brent said: “While opening the airport to medical patients will be a critical first step, the Saudi-led coalition must go one step further and open it up to commercial flights, which will bring in commercial and humanitarian goods and give Yemenis the freedom to travel overseas – something that in most countries is taken for granted.”

Flights for Yemeni civilians needing medical care abroad will be overseen by the World Health Organization (WHO), coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the WHO referred the Guardian to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, but no one was available for comment.

The five-year civil war has left more than 100,000 people dead, most of them civilians, according to relief organisations, and 3.6 million displaced in what the UN has called the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/global-...l-first-step-for-yemenis-needing-medical-care.

 

[sweep_shot]

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces said the country’s army troops intercepted and targeted a Saudi Apache helicopter near the border with Saudi Arabia on Friday, killing its two pilots.

“A Saudi Apache helicopter was shot down by a surface-to-air missile... and its two pilots were killed as it was completely burned,” Brigadier General Yahya Saree wrote in a post published on his Twitter page.

There was no immediate confirmation from a Saudi-led coalition that has been waging aggression against the impoverished Arab country for more than four years.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies have been carrying out deadly airstrikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.

An estimated two million children in Yemen are currently suffering from acute malnutrition, including 360,000 under five years old, according to recent UNICEF reports.

Source: https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/...es-shoot-down-saudi-chopper-near-border-areas.