Warnings of the collapse of the cease-fire in the western city of Hodeidah continue with the failure of the conflicting parties to implement the agreement reached last month during consultations between the Yemeni government and the Houthis under the auspices of the United Nations in the Swedish capital Stockholm.
Yemeni Foreign Minister Khalid al-Yamani said in a tweet on Sunday that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterich had promised that the Stockholm agreement would be implemented and that the Houthis would withdraw from Hodeidah and from the three ports of the province.
However, the Yemeni foreign ministry warned yesterday in a statement that the Stockholm agreement is threatened to collapse, adding that the policy of restraint will not continue indefinitely, if the Houthis did not stop sending more reinforcements in the province.
The foreign statement and a source of the alliance accused al-Houthi group of shelling the Red Sea mills in Hodeidah on Friday, which led to a fire in grain silos and the destruction of tons of wheat intended to help the Yemeni people, while the Houthis blamed the coalition for the bombing.
Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi warned last Thursday of the possibility of failure of the Stockholm agreement, accusing the Houthis of violating the cease-fire in Hodeidah, which came into force mid-last month.
On the same day, the leader of the Houthis, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi announced the readiness of his group for peace, but called at the same time to continue to address what he called the Saudi aggression against the Yemenis, at a time of continuing fighting in several provinces, including the argument and Sa'ada.
The Houthis earlier accused the Yemeni government and the Saudi-UAE alliance of violating the cease-fire in Hodeidah through air strikes and artillery shelling.
| Kamera shook hands with Huthi leaders at Sana'a airport during a visit to the Yemeni capital (European) |
Implementation stumbled
The fear of the collapse of the truce in Hodeidah is increasing due to the frequent clashes between the two parties in Hodeidah, most recently on Wednesday and Friday, and the failure to implement the clause on the withdrawal of the Huthis and government forces beyond the borders of Hodeidah.
The International Observer Mission (ISOM), led by retired Dutch general Patrick Camert, faced difficulties in carrying out some of its tasks, including the inability to hold a third meeting of the military commission charged with implementing the redeployment of troops in Hodeidah.
In light of these difficulties, sources said that Camert had resigned and replaced him with a Danish general. The United Nations said he was continuing his mission, while a UN diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse that he would eventually resign.
The sources said that Camert returned to resume his duties in overseeing the redeployment of troops in Hodeidah after the Security Council approved last week to extend the duration of one to six months, and the appointment of 75 international observers.