British foreign secretary urges Houthis to engage in Yemen cease-fire extension
SMA NEWS – LONDON
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called on Saturday for the Houthi militia to “engage constructively” with UN and regional efforts to extend the cease-fire in Yemen.
The UK commended the government of Yemen and its commitment to delivering the benefits of the truce, which has allowed Yemenis to move freely and safely around the country, to access fuel and healthcare and to fly in and out of Yemen, according to a Foreign Office statement.
These benefits, the statement added, would be lost beyond Sunday, Oct. 2, if the cease-fire was not extended.
“Yemen must not return to conflict. The truce expires tomorrow, but the Houthis continue to endanger the talks and deny Yemenis a peaceful future,” Cleverly said.
“The truce has brought tangible benefits to both Yemenis and regional security and we welcome the government of Yemen’s commitment to extend it further if an extension can be agreed.
“We call on the Houthis to engage constructively with UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg’s efforts to broker an extension to the truce, so that serious dialogue about achieving a peaceful, inclusive and Yemeni-led future can take place,” he added.
During the truce, brokered by the UN and accepted by both sides in the country’s conflict on April 2 this year, civilian casualties have fallen dramatically and cross-border attacks by the Houthis into Saudi Arabia and the UAE have stopped.
