Yemen’s Fate in UN Envoy’s Hands as Nations Flee Their Embassies
Any hope of negotiating a peaceful settlement to Yemen’s escalating turmoil may rest on the efforts of a single United Nations official.
Diplomats from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Japan have joined their American and European counterparts in closing their embassies and fleeing the country. That leaves Jamal Benomar, UN chief Ban Ki-moon’s special adviser on Yemen, as the only international representative in touch with all 12 political parties in Yemen.
The UN Security Council on Sunday unanimously adopted a resolution demanding that Houthi rebels relinquish their arms and control of the government they seized from President Abdurabuh Mansur Hadi and engage in talks on a peaceful political transition brokered by Benomar.
“Today Yemen is at a crossroad: Either the country will descend into civil war and disintegration, or the country will find a way to put the transition back on track,” Benomar said.
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