UN envoy says return to war in Yemen “real”

ABC News:

CAIRO — The U.N. envoy for Yemen warned that the risk of a return to fighting “is real,” urging warring parties to accept a longer extension of the current ceasefire due to expire next month.

Hans Grundberg’s stark warning late Tuesday came after he met in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, with Rashad al-Alimi, head of the internationally recognized presidential council, and in Oman’s capital of Muscat with Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the chief negotiator of the Houthi rebels. He also met with Saudi and Omani officials to push for a cease-fire extension.

Grundberg said in a statement he discussed a U.N. proposal to renew the truce for a longer time “to give Yemenis the opportunity to make progress on a wider basket of priorities.”

“We are at a crossroads where the risk of a return to war is real and I am urging the parties to choose an alternative that prioritizes the needs of the Yemeni people,” he said.

The efforts to renew the cease-fire have come as the two sides held military parades in territories under their control. The internationally recognized government held parades on the anniversary of 1962 uprising against the Imamate rule in northern Yemen.

The most notable parade was held by the Houthis last week in the capital of Sanaa, where they showcased a variety of weapons — including missiles and drones — which resemble those produced by Iran, their main backer in the war. The Houthi parades were a celebration of their seizure of the capital Sanaa in Sep. 2014, which triggered the current civil war.

The U.N. envoy did not offer details on his proposal.

Nabil Jamel, a government negotiator, said the U.N. proposal includes ways to pay civilian servants in Houthi-held territories and reopen roads of blockaded cities, including Taiz. He did not elaborate.

Reopening the roads of Taiz and other provinces are part of the U.N.-brokered truce, which took effect in early April and was extended twice, the second time until October 2. Both sides reported violations of the cease-fire. The truce established a partial reopening of Sanaa airport to commercial flights, and allowed fuel vessels to the port of Hodeida.

Abdul-Salam, the Houthi official in Oman, called for a permanent opening of Sanaa airport and the Red Sea ports in Hodeida, along with paying salaries and pensions, before engaging in political talks.