UN Security Council reaffirms support for beleaguered Yemeni president

UN Security Council reaffirms support for beleaguered Yemeni president
The Security Council has again stated that President Hadi who is holed up in Aden is the legitimate leader of Yemen as the international envoy Jamal Ben Omar intensifies his shuttle diplomacy to end the political crisis in the country.
2 min read
04 March, 2015
Yemenis hold Anti-Houthi demonstration in Ta'izz in Feb 2015. [Anadolu]
The UN Security Council reiterated its support for the mediation efforts of Jamal Benomar, the UN secretary general's advisor to Yemen, on 3 March.

The UNSC said it supported Abd-Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in his role as the legitimate Yemeni president, and called for the need to preserve Yemen's unity.

"UNSC members held a closed-door consultation session, during which they listened to a statement by special advisor to Yemen on the latest
     The resolution, issued under Chapter VII, calls for a years extension to international sanctions.
developments in the Yemeni crisis," according to Francois Delattre, permanent French envoy to the UN and current UNSC president.

After the session, Delattre called on "all parties in the Yemeni crisis to comply with relevant UNSC resolutions, especially Resolution 2201".

Last week, the UNSC unanimously approved a resolution drafted by the UK. The resolution stipulates extending sanctions imposed on entities and individuals until February 2016, freezing their assets and banning them from travel.

The resolution, issued under Chapter VII, calls for a years extension to international sanctions "against deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh and two Houthi leaders - Abdul Khaleq al-Houthi and Abdullah Yahya al-Hakim." 

It also emphasises the need for a peaceful transition of power in Yemen and calls for specifying a timeframe to endorse the constitution's draft and hold a referendum on it, in addition to setting a date for legislative and presidential elections.

The UNSC resolution also extends the mandate of the team of experts until 25 March 2016, and calls on the Houthis to withdraw their fighters from government institutions, halt violence, and hand over the Yemeni army's weapons they seized after taking over Sanaa last year.

This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.