Yemen President Cedes Powers to Council as Saudi Arabia Pushes to End War
Yemen’s president dismissed his controversial deputy on Thursday (April 7) and delegated his own powers to a presidential council in a move backed by Saudi Arabia, removing some obstacles to U.N.-led efforts to revive negotiations to end the seven-year war.
Riyadh announced $3 billion in financial aid to the Saudi-backed government following the announcement by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. It also called for talks with the Iran-backed Houthis, de facto authorities in the north,who have been battling a Saudi-led coalition.
In a major breakthrough, Yemen’s warring sides agreed to a two-month truce that began on Saturday, the first since 2016. … Saudi Arabia called on the council to “start negotiations with the Houthis under United Nations auspices for a final and comprehensive solution”.
The war has killed tens of thousands and devastated the economy, leaving 80% of the population of some 30 million people reliant on aid.
….Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam criticised the move as a farce and a “desperate attempt to restructure the ranks of mercenaries to push them towards further escalation”.
Riyadh, which has struggled to exit the war in Yemen, urged the new council to negotiate with the Iran-aligned Houthis under U.N. auspices “for a final and comprehensive solution”.
➨ reuters.com/world/middle-east/yemen-president-relieves-deputy-his-post-2022-04-07