UN urges Yemeni forces, rebels to honor cease-fire
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The UN鈥檚 envoy to Yemen called yesterday for pro-government forces and rebels to respect a cease-fire in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, after repeated clashes between the two sides threatened to unravel a hard-won accord hammered out in Sweden last week.
鈥淭he special envoy expects the two parties to respect their obligations as per the text and spirit of the Stockholm Agreement and to engage in the immediate implementation of its provisions,鈥 envoy Martin Griffiths tweeted.
He said the UN was working with Yemen鈥檚 Saudi-backed government and Iran-aligned Houthi rebels to ensure the accord on Hodeida reached on Thursday was 鈥渋mplemented timely and properly.鈥
Clashes shook Hodeida yesterday after air strikes and deadly fighting on the outskirts overnight, residents said.
UN chief Antonio Guterres warned that 鈥渕uch worse鈥 lay in store for the country in 2019 unless its warring parties strike a peace deal and head off a humanitarian crisis.
The two sides exchanged accusations of violating the cease-fire accord that took effect on Friday but which quickly came under pressure.
A resident of the city reached by telephone said that the clashes were 鈥渇ierce鈥 and the sounds of jets could be heard throughout the night until about 5am yesterday.
Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also reported ongoing fighting in the city, home to a lifeline port. 鈥淭here are sounds of jets and air strikes, but we don鈥檛 know what they are targeting,鈥 he said.
At least 29 fighters, including 22 Houthi rebels and seven pro-government troops, were killed on Saturday night in clashes and air strikes in Hodeida province, a pro-government military source said. No other sources could confirm the death toll.
The pro-government source added that seven rebels were captured during a Houthi attack on Al-Durayhimi district, which lies about 20 kilometer south of Hodeida city.
According to the insurgents鈥 Al-Masirah television yesterday, there were ongoing clashes and air strikes in the city and its outskirts.
The truce between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi rebels was due to be followed by the withdrawal of fighters from Hodeida within days on both sides.
In comments Saturday on the rebel-run Saba news agency, the Houthis accused pro-government forces of shelling residential neighborhoods in Hodeida city.
The cease-fire is seen as the most significant step toward ending the devastating conflict in Yemen, where more than 14 million people are on the brink of famine.
The two sides also agreed to meet again in late January for more talks to define the framework for negotiations on a comprehensive peace settlement.
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