KT edit: UAE, Saudi Arabia are united in fight to save Yemen

Coalition forces have been engaged in a long battle with the Houthis, who have been supported by Iran.

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Published: Mon 26 Aug 2019, 9:00 PM

Last updated: Mon 26 Aug 2019, 11:17 PM

More dialogue is the only way to reduce violence in Yemen. It can resolve internal differences that have cropped up, tweeted Saudi Arabia's vice-minister of defence Prince Khalid bin Salman on Monday. He is right. For more than four years, the Saudi Arabia-led coalition has been engaged in a battle in Yemen for the Yemenis, and the legitimate government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The Hadi government was ousted by the Houthi rebels in 2014. But how does the coalition keep up with its efforts if infighting threatens to aggravate the situation? The Southern Transitional Council recently seized control of Aden and accused a group allied to Hadi of being complicit in a Houthi attack on southern forces.
Coalition forces have been engaged in a long battle with the Houthis, who have been supported by Iran. It's a conflict that has caused a lot of bloodshed in Yemen and also severely impacted Saudi Arabia and the UAE. However, such infighting at a time when the coalition is trying to end the conflict through strategic interventions by the United Nations does more harm than good. It strikes a huge blow to the efforts of the coalition that has been working tirelessly to ensure peace in the country.
The war in Yemen has dragged on for far too long and has reduced much of the country to rubble. The blame for this devastation and destruction rests with the warring Houthi militias who have not been sincere in their efforts to seek peace. Ceasefire commitments by the Houthis last year may have given an illusion of progress, but not much success has been gained on the ground. The Houthis have consistently reneged on their pledges and defaulted on one withdrawal deadline after the other. The rebels recently fired Iranian missiles at Riyadh and at ships (including US military vessels) in the Bab El Mandeb strait, a vital shipping lane connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. There have been drone attacks too on Saudi soil. The Houthis have been ruthless in their drive to seek power. Fighting has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine and caused a humanitarian crisis that could have been avoided in the first place. Saudi Arabia's call for a summit, a dialogue in the kingdom opens a door for peace that Yemen badly needs in the South. UN diplomacy should get sharper, and the support of the US and European governments will put pressure on the Houthis.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are fighting this war together and there can be no compromise in their efforts to restore peace in the country. "We are working with the UAE for security and stability in Aden, Shabwa and Abyan and . to unify ranks and voices to combat terrorist threats, whether from the Iran-backed Houthis or from Al Qaeda and Daesh," said Prince Khalid. The Houthis and Iran who think there is trouble in the coalition ranks will soon realise there the UAE and Saudi Arabia are gearing up for the real battle to save Yemen's soul.


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