Resolution to the Conflict in Yemen

At a press conference held at the UN, Mr. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the former Special Envoy, on the situation in the Middle East, discussed the dire conditions in Yemen, where he called upon the decision-makers in Yemen to come to an agreement and end the war, stating that only Yemeni decision-makers can put an end to the bloodshed. Going through a litany of human rights violations and deplorable conditions, including recruiting child soldiers and exploitation of public property for personal gains, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed argued that political parties are using the situation to gain political and economic gains, creating further division to suit their ends and making gains from arms-trading. He praised the aid contributions by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the support it is providing to the Yemeni people. Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed repeated that the only parties capable of ending the bloodshed and creating a peaceful settlement are the Yemeni parties. A peace road map for Yemen was created, approved by the UN and to which all parties had settled on. He noted the key positive role played by the Kingdom in getting concessions and bringing people to the table, and by the various Gulf States-all in the effort of ending the conflict. In discussing what happened during the efforts to come to a peaceful resolution, when all parties had initially agreed to a resolution, the Iranian-backed Houthis pulled out of the treaty refusing to accept the measures already agreed upon, which continuously causes delays to the peace process.