Category: Press Release

Statement On Declaration for the Implementation of the Riyadh Agreement

Statement On Declaration for the Implementation of the Riyadh Agreement

July 29, 2020

The Government of Yemen welcomes the statement issued by yesterday the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the proposed mechanism to accelerate the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement. The Government of Yemen has expressed its readiness to fully implementing the Riyadh Agreement that had been agreed with the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

Moreover, the Government of Yemen reiterates its profound gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia both for the substantial efforts exerted to establish the Riyadh Agreement; and going forward to execute (as expeditiously as possible) the Riyadh Agreement with the new mechanism.

For many months, the Yemeni Government had engaged responsibly in the face of the consequences of the August 2019 military escalation and has responded positively to all efforts to reach the Riyadh Agreement in November 2019, whose provisions the government has been keen on fully carrying out and in its commitments.

The Yemeni Government had already adhered to and pursued its obligations under the Riyadh Agreement and implemented all parameters governing the military and security side, all of which were agreed upon with the supervision of our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Fortunately, the STC has finally reacted positively to the exhortations of the Government of Yemen, the Arab Coalition, the Arab League, and the United Nations Security Council, including with the prudent pronouncement stated yesterday by the STC to abrogate and abandon its decision for “self-administration” in southern parts of Yemen – which had been an adversarial maneuver and an adverse measure that also greatly exacerbated the Riyadh Agreement and further aggravated instability in Yemen. The international community has repeatedly asserted the imperative for maintaining the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Yemen.

The time is now for all parties to entirely work in good faith with the Government of Yemen under the leadership of His Excellency President Hadi, and to ensure the complete success to the Riyadh Agreement without any hindrances. This comprises exercising confidence in the Prime Minister for forming a new government derived from all parties (including the STC) and also engaging positively with the appointments of the new Governor of Aden and new Head of the Police in Aden.

The Government of Yemen calls on our Yemeni people everywhere to close ranks and to strengthen our national cohesion and to defeat any attempts to harm the homeland and to stand with the state and the legitimate government against all forms of armed rebellion and coups which threaten Yemen and its vital unity. Our energies must be mobilized together as one to end this long conflict, to reach a secure and sustainable peace, and to ultimately achieve long-term recovery.

Embassy of the Republic of Yemen Condemns Iran-Backed Houthis for Endangering Yemenis to the Coronavirus and Urges International Pressur

Embassy of the Republic of Yemen Condemns Iran-Backed Houthis for Endangering Yemenis to the Coronavirus and Urges International Pressure

Tomorrow, Thursday, March 26, 2020, marks five years since Yemen’s legitimate government with the crucial help of the Arab Coalition acted to thwart the Iran-backed Houthis from taking over all of Yemen. It is not a day for celebration, despite the important security gains from territory retaken by the government.

The international community recognizes that peace is long overdue in Yemen. The legitimate government and its coalition members have made overtures, and we have been working closely with all United Nations Special Envoys and international partners to find some way to convince the Houthis to agree to a comprehensive cease-fire and to join in a unity government that would give all Yemenis – including the Houthis – a voice in the future of the country. Unfortunately, the actions of the Iran-backed Houthis over the past year have proven to the world that they are determined to continue and even intensify this conflict, no matter what the cost.

Most recently, they have cynically blocked food aid to millions of suffering Yemenis living under Houthi oppression; and the Houthis have refused to cooperate on basic health strategies to prevent numerous communities from the threat posed by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Just this January, the Houthis launched three missiles during Maghreb prayers at a mosque in the province of Marib, killing 111 worshippers and injuring more than 100 others. It was the latest manifestation of the Houthis’ callous disregard for the sanctity of civilian life. The Houthis also have indiscriminately planted more than 1 million land mines under Yemeni soil, forcibly conscripted thousands of child soldiers and indoctrinated many more young children in schools that include a mandatory daily recital of their slogan that horribly incites anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism. The contrast between the behavior and visions of Yemen’s legitimate government and the Iran-backed Houthis has never been clearer than now.

In the current global context, while Yemen has no confirmed cases yet of Coronavirus, the legitimate government has taken steps to ensure proper testing is available and promoted awareness of the virus in its controlled areas. It has worked with the World Health Organization to secure medical equipment, including test kits, hazmat suits, masks and gloves for local medical colleges and institutions. From other partners such as Saudi Arabia, the legitimate government has secured pledges of funding, technical expertise, and additional health resources to help with our pandemic preparedness efforts.

The Houthis, meanwhile, continue to import advanced weaponry and trainers from Iran, the country with the most severe Coronavirus outbreak in our region. They continue to block aid to Yemenis in Houthi-controlled areas and refuse to provide any kind of personal protective equipment, hoarding them along with the food and water intended for vulnerable and malnourished civilians.

The international community should not be surprised, given the Houthis’ past deplorable conduct and continued egregious actions to arrest, torture and execute innocent Yemenis on false charges; the politicization of courts; and the steady theft of humanitarian assistance that has been so grievous, it has forced the United Nations to suspend food deliveries to Houthi-controlled regions for months at a time.

“The Houthis have made it clear that they do not want peace, not on any terms, and are actively pushing a strategy to relentlessly increase the misery of the Yemeni people,” said Dr. Ahmed BinMubarak, Yemen’s Ambassador to the United States.” “The Houthis continue to blatantly violate international law, with few repercussions from the international community. Given the threat to all Yemenis posed by the COVID-19, we need a united front on the Houthis so that they come to the negotiation table once and for all – and in accordance with the established Three References (i.e., Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative & Implementation Mechanism, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference and United Nations Security Council Resolutions, especially 2216).”

Indeed, on this fifth anniversary of the international effort to stop the Houthis, Yemen’s legitimate government is yet again reaffirming its desire for a comprehensive peace that can finally end this conflict. It is prepared to dialogue with anyone and work constructively with everyone to give the Yemeni people the security, stability, and prosperity they always have deserved.

Embassy of Republic of Yemen Condemns Houthis for Sentencing 35 Yemen Parliamentarians to Death to Fund Their Brutal War

Embassy of Republic of Yemen Condemns Houthis for Sentencing 35 Yemen Parliamentarians to Death to Fund Their Brutal War

March 04, 2020

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen unequivocally condemns the Iranian-backed Houthi militia’s court for sentencing 35 Yemeni parliamentarians to death in absentia, including the President and Deputy Speaker, on charges of aiding Saudi Arabia and the Arab Coalition. The Houthis consistently use these trials as excuses to raid these officials’ properties and to confiscate their assets inside the country.

“This is not the first time the Iranian-backed Houthi militia has issued the death penalty in order to confiscate property to fund their cruel war and to terrorize innocent Yemeni people,” said Dr. Ahmed Awad BinMubarak, Ambassador of Yemen to the United States.

In the past few years, this illegal behavior has become standard operating procedure for the Houthis in order to fund their violent agenda. For example, the Houthis have put past Yemeni officials, including President Hadi, on trial as an excuse to pillage their assets. And for ordinary Yemenis, their fate is much worse: last July, 30 innocent Yemeni civilians were tortured and sentenced to death for “espionage”.

The Republic of Yemen calls on UN Security-General António Guterres and the international community to increase diplomatic, political, and economic pressure on the Houthis to stop their illegal trials of political opponents, immediately release all prisoners, and to stop extra-judicial killings.

Embassy of Republic of Yemen Condemns on Houthis Abduction and Detention of Dr. Hamid Aqlan, Urges International Community & the Human Rights Organizations to Act

Embassy of Republic of Yemen Condemns Houthis Abduction and Detention of Dr. Hamid Aqlan, Urges International Community & the Human Rights Organizations to Act

January 31, 2020

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Washington, D.C. unequivocally condemns the Iran-backed Houthis’ abduction of Dr. Hamid Aqlan, the president of the Sana’a-based University of Science and Technology, and his transfer to an unnamed prison without notification to his family or colleagues. His replacement by Adel Al-Mutawakkl, a known Houthi affiliate, is yet another instance in a long line of Houthi interference in Yemeni academics to promote their evil and flawed ideology.

“The Iran-backed Houthi’s abuse of the Yemeni higher education system is intended to warp the Yemeni people’s minds to be sympathetic towards terrorism,” said Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen Dr. Ahmed Awab BinMubarak. “They have consistently violated the basic human rights of the people within their territory, despite their pledge to the Stockholm Agreement.”

This is not the first time that the Houthis have interfered with the University. In 2014, the group stormed the campus, confiscated university equipment and threatened its closure. In 2018, militias arrested several professors from the University of Sanaa, holding them in similar censored prisons, and have continued to reject their pay.

The government of Yemen calls on the international community to exert necessary maximum pressure on the Houthi militias to stop their abduction of prominent Yemeni academics, to make their prisons, uncensored, and to release immediately all prisoners in accordance with the Stockholm Agreement and the related UN Security Council Resolutions.

Statement on the Houthi attack, which killed over 100 worshipers and injured more than 100 others in Marib, Yemen

Statement on the Houthi attack and war crime perpetrated this past Saturday, which killed over 100 worshipers and injured more than 100 others in Marib, Yemen

January 21, 2020

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Washington, DC, strongly condemns the most recent Houthi war crime perpetrated this past Saturday, which killed 111 worshipers and injured more than 100 others. The Iran-backed Houthi militias launched three ballistic missiles at a mosque in Al Meil during Magreb prayers, in violation of the Geneva Convention and all international human rights law. The Houthis deliberately targeted a place of worship during prayer time to maximize fatalities in direct contravention of all international human rights law, making this atrocity a clear war crime.

Since the Houthis violently overthrew Sana’a in 2014, they have committed 738 violations against places of worship and worshipers, causing the full or partial destruction of 73 mosques. These violations include the bombing, shelling, and looting of mosques, as well as detention of imams and the conversion of mosques into military barracks.

“The Iran-backed Houthis committed an egregious war crime when they targeted worshipers during prayer time,” said Ambassador of Yemen to the US, Ahmed Awad BinMubarak. “The Geneva Convention and international human rights law forbid this inhumane kind of attack on places of worship. The United Nations and international community must condemn this barbaric attack, and take action to ensure the Houthis do not get away with such blatant disregard for human life and international law.”

The Houthis have violated international law thousands of times since they stormed the capital of Yemen in 2014. The United Nations has documented proof of Houthi recruitment of child soldiers, diversion of humanitarian aid, landmine contamination, civilian targeting and countless other violations of human rights. Yemen’s Ministry of Human Rights urges the United Nations and the UN Security Council to issue a binding resolution against the Houthi militias to cease all violations, especially those against places of worship. Further, the UN must do more to protect places of worship at risk during war.

 

Statement on US Seizure of Iranian Weapons Bound for Yemen

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen Denounces Iran’s Continued Illegal Transfer of Arms to Houthi Militias, Recognizes United States’ Support for Peace and Security in Yemen

December 6, 2019

The Embassy of Yemen in Washington, D.C., emphatically denounces Iran’s illegal transfer of arms and weapon components to the Houthi militias in Yemen. The US Department of State announced yesterday that on November 25th, a US Navy warship seized advanced missile parts from an Iranian boat headed to Yemen in brazen disregard for international law. These parts include anti-ship cruise missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, air defense missiles, and anti-tank missiles. The Embassy welcomes the continued support of the United States in combating the Iran-backed Houthi militias and broader Iranian aggression on the Arabian Peninsula.

“Iran has sought to destabilize Yemen for years by supplying sophisticated weaponry and training to the Houthi militias, one of many Iranian terrorist proxies in the region who share their hateful ideology,” said Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen Dr. Ahmed Awad BinMubarak. “The United Nations has prohibited Iran from supplying any of its proxies with weapons, yet Iran continues to violate international law with its campaign of violent imperialism. The Government of Yemen will never allow an Iranian terrorist proxy to threaten its people, and we appreciate the United States’ support in combating this Iranian aggression.”

Iran has provided financial, military and political support to the Houthi rebels since the beginning of the conflict. The UN and other international observers have extensively documented the transfer of Iranian weapon technology and military training to Houthi militias. Iran has smuggled illegal sea mine and landmine components, ballistic missile parts, drone devices and technology, and a massive amount of conventional weaponry and munitions into the arms of the Houthi militias.

The technology and arms in these illegal shipments have becoming more advanced and sophisticated over time, and this most recent seizure showcased the most advanced missile technology sent to Yemen to date, according to Brian Hook, US State Department Special Envoy to Iran.

As Hook explains, “Iran is trying to prolong Yemen’s conflict. The Yemeni people have suffered far too long, and Iran has no legitimate interest in Yemen.”

Embassy of the Republic of Yemen Strongly Condemns Houthis and Urges International Community to Act Against the Houthis Abduction and Detention of Yemeni Journalists, Politicians, Academics, and Activists

Embassy of the Republic of Yemen Strongly Condemns Houthis and Urges International Community to Act Against the Houthis Abduction and Detention of Yemeni Journalists, Politicians, Academics, and Activists.

November 15, 2019

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Washington, D.C., reaffirms its categorical denunciation of the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ abduction and detention of Yemeni journalists, academics, politicians, and activists for their political beliefs. In May 2019, the Houthis sentenced 16 journalists to death on completely false allegations (as the Embassy noted in its tweet on May 10, 2019, and its letter to the Committee to Protect Journalists). Just two months later, in July 2019 Houthi militias sentenced another 30 innocent Yemenis to death for alleged affiliation with a rival political party. These and other sentences are a gross violation of human rights and the right to due process for all Yemenis. Since then, all of these innocent Yemenis have been held in captivity in miserable conditions, suffering beatings and torture at the hand of their Houthi captors.

Recently, the Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Washington, D.C., has received many letters by international NGOs and concerned activists who have called for an immediate release of all prisoners, abductees and those who were forcibly disappeared by the Houthi militias.

“These letters from concerned individuals and organizations demonstrate the world’s desire to see these political prisoners freed from captivity,” said Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen Dr. Ahmed Awab BinMubarak. The Iran-backed Houthi militias continue to violate the basic human rights of those within their territory, and they have failed to uphold the release of all political prisoners, a critical component of the Stockholm Agreement.”

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNOHCHR) issued a statement in July confirming that the 30 Houthi prisoners were “subjected to arbitrary or unlawful detention, as well as torture and other ill-treatment in custody.” This atrocity must not be allowed to continue.

The government of Yemen calls on UN Security-General António Guterres and the international community to exercise the necessary and maximum pressure on the Houthi militias to stop their illegal trials of political prisoners and to immediately release all prisoners in accordance with the Stockholm Agreement and the related UN Security Council Resolutions.

Statement on the Riyadh Agreement

Statement on the Riyadh Agreement

November 5th, 2019 – WASHINGTON, DC

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen welcomes the Riyadh Agreement as an important step to preserving the Yemeni state and restoring government institutions in the interim capital of Aden. This agreement will be conducive for a new era of stability and to foster a deeper domestic engagement for the Government of H.E. President Hadi to serve the people of Yemen and to help bring our country closer to peace. The Riyadh Agreement will act as a roadmap to finding a peaceful, political solution to the broader conflict in Yemen.

“With this agreement, all Yemenis will continue to enjoy equal rights and representation under a new Cabinet, ushering in a new phase of stability, security, and development,” said Ambassador His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Awad BinMubarak“.

The role of state authorities and institutions has been reaffirmed, all forms of discrimination have been renounced, and now we can get back to resolving the conflict that was started by the Iran-backed Houthi militias.”

The Embassy reiterates the profound appreciation of the legitimate Government of Yemen to our friend and partner, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for their indispensable efforts in brokering this agreement. Moreover, their international leadership has been crucial in confronting the malign influence of Iran and providing relief to the people of Yemen.

The Yemeni government will stand united in our efforts to end the Iranian-backed Houthi coup and bring an end to the conflict. Military forces from across the spectrum and from all groups will be incorporated together and consolidated under the exclusive command & control of the authorities of the legitimate Government of Yemen, which will save our country from those who have done so much harm to it.

All resources will now be directed into supporting the national interest and paving the way in securing a better and more prosperous future for all of Yemen.

EMBASSY OF YEMEN CATEGORICALLY DENOUNCES HOUTHI TERRORISM IN ADEN

August 01, 2019

EMBASSY OF YEMEN CATEGORICALLY DENOUNCES HOUTHI TERRORISM IN ADEN

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen categorically denounces the terrorist attacks perpetrated by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias in Aden today, killing 51 people and wounding at least 56 more. A Houthi suicide bomber killed at least 10 individuals at a police station, and a missile strike against a peaceful military graduation ceremony killed more than 40 young graduates.

The official Houthi television station Al Masirah was eager to trumpet these attacks, boasting about the death and injury of more than 100 Yemenis. These ruthless, cowardly tactics and subsequent broadcasting of the victims as a triumph mirrors the abhorrent celebrations of ISIS militants following the church bombings in Sri Lanka and other terrorist attacks carried out by the Islamic State.

“The Iranian-backed Houthi militias have increased the brutality and frequency of their attacks on the Yemeni people, crippling peace efforts and implementation of the Stockholm agreements. This past week, the Houthis fired Katyusha rockets at a marketplace, killing more than a dozen innocent Yemenis, including four children. Now they perpetrate dual terror attacks in Yemen’s capital, bringing the total casualties to nearly 200 people in only a few days,” said His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Awad BinMubarak, Ambassador of Yemen to the United States. “This reckless escalation in terrorist attacks by Houthi militias is deeply concerning. The United Nations and international community must act swiftly and strongly to preserve the Stockholm agreements and Yemen’s hope for peace.”

On Monday, Houthi militias launched Katyusha rockets at a civilian marketplace in Al Thabit killing 14 people, four of whom were children. The Houthis have also increased the frequency of cross-border attacks on civilian targets, firing missiles at Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia twice last month, killing one civilian and injuring more than 50 others.

Since the signing of the Stockholm agreement in December 2018, the Houthis have committed more than 5,000 violations of the agreement and refused to implement other key aspects of the signed commitments. The United Nations and the international community must confront the Houthi militias and hold them to account for the agreements signed under UN supervision.

Press Release : Houthi Missile Strike Kills 14, Wounds Dozens in Al Thabit Marketplace

July 29, 2019

Houthi Missile Strike Kills 14, Wounds Dozens in Al Thabit Marketplace

July 29, 2019 – Washington DC- The Embassy of Yemen condemns the heinous Houthi missile strikes on a civilian marketplace in Saada, which killed at least 14 civilians and injured dozens more. The Iranian-backed Houthis launched Katyusha rockets at the marketplace in the Qatabir district, deliberately targeting civilians. This is yet another example of the Houthis’ brazen disregard for Yemeni civilians and international war law.

“The Houthis have repeatedly attacked civilians as a fundamental tactic of their war on the Yemeni people,” said Dr. Ahmed Awad BinMubarak, Ambassador of Yemen to the United States. “Houthi war crimes have plagued Yemen since the Houthis began this conflict in 2014. The United Nations, the United States, and the international community must denounce this missile strike on innocent Yemeni civilians and pressure the Houthis to cease all missile strikes against civilian populations both within Yemen’s boundaries and across international borders into Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.”

The cynicism of the Houthi attack was underlined by the rebel group’s coordinated attempt to blame the attack on external forces. This information campaign by the Houthis proves that the attack was clearly premeditated, and the Houthis tried to deflect blame because they knew what they were doing was wrong.

The Iran-backed Houthi militias receive munitions, weapons, training, and financial support from their allies in Tehran. The United Nations, the US Department of State and other international organizations have documented shipments of ballistic missile components, drone material and training provided to the Houthi militias by the Iranian regime.