Al-Sharq al-Awsat, London, Originally posted in Arabic on March 25
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould al-Sheikh, recently announced his plan for a ceasefire in Yemen, set to take place next month. According to al-Sheikh, the cessation of all hostilities will come into effect on April 10th, after which representatives of all sides are scheduled to arrive in Kuwait for negotiations on a final ceasefire resolution.
There are no guarantees that the plan will move forward as expected. However, this is still a great achievement for the United Nations. It shows that al-Sheikh succeeded in gaining each party’s confidence, allowing everyone to sit around the same negotiating table.
It also exposes the true reality of the fighting in Yemen: that both sides have an interest in ending the war. The Houthi rebels, on one hand, are losing vast territories that they previously seized. With very little military power left, they now realize that they must take part in the political process or risk losing everything they have.
On the other hand, government forces associated with former president Abdullah Saleh realize that they will not be able to restore the country to what it once was, and therefore have to negotiate a final resolution.
Meanwhile, the Arab Coalition comprised of Gulf States, which has been operating in Yemen for months, cannot restore stability by continuing to bomb the country forever. There must be a negotiated deal that brings about stability in Yemen.
The UN’s peace initiative just might be the missing link. – Abd al-Rahman al-Rashed