Sharing "resources" instead of power... A toxic British recipe for settlement in Yemen

English - Tuesday 16 May 2023 الساعة 04:44 pm
Aden, NewsYemen:

Britain expressed its willingness to issue a new UN resolution on Yemen to support any settlement reached by the parties to the conflict in the country, while it considered that "any successful deal in Yemen must contain an economic agreement to share scattered resources."

This was stated by the British Ambassador to Yemen, Richard Oppenheim, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

Oppenheim expressed his country's readiness - in its capacity as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the country holding the pen for the Yemeni file - to support peace efforts in Yemen, including any comprehensive political settlement through the issuance of a new resolution, and even the lifting of sanctions within a set of steps that can be agreed upon. .

"As I have said repeatedly in the past, the Security Council will need to pass a new resolution in order to ratify any political settlement by all parties," he said.

He pointed out that "the UN Security Council sought at every stage to support the parties for peace, including its recent statement welcoming the recent Saudi and Omani visit to Sana'a."

He stated, "The Security Council has a set of steps that can be agreed upon to support efforts to achieve peace before a new resolution is issued, and the list, of course, includes Security Council approval to lift sanctions."

He pointed out that "the United Kingdom, in its capacity as a member of the Security Council and leading the negotiation process and drafting decisions, is ready to play its role in initiating these documents."

Richard Oppenheim believes that the current period is the best opportunity for peace since the start of the current conflict in Yemen.

The British ambassador said, "Any successful deal in Yemen must contain an economic agreement to settle the scattered Yemeni resources that can be shared, in addition to addressing long-term political issues, such as the future of the south, as part of any upcoming political settlement."

Oppenheim stressed that the Presidential Leadership Council was clear that the southern issue needs to be addressed as part of the discussions of a political settlement, indicating that the UN Security Council, including the United Kingdom, supports this view.

On how to achieve this, he said, "It is up to the Yemeni parties to decide. We believe that the timing of the discussion on the southern issue should not undermine the broader peace process, or endanger stability in the southern regions. The unity of the Presidential Leadership Council is important for the possibility of the success of the peace process.