ADEN, Nov 11 (NNN-SABA) – Yemen’s President, Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, said, the Saudi-brokered deal, signed between his government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), was a great opportunity to achieve peace in the country.
Hadi held a meeting with several Arab and foreign ambassadors accredited to Yemen, in his temporary residence, in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh.
Hadi briefed the foreign missions, on the latest developments and challenges that Yemen is witnessing at various levels, including those related to the Riyadh deal, which establishes a new phase of security, stability, and peace.
He pointed out that “the source of optimism is the keenness of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to ensure the success of the deal, which is a great opportunity to achieve a comprehensive peace in Yemen, based on the sovereignty of the state.”
For their part, the foreign ambassadors to Yemen considered that the signing of the Riyadh deal is a historic step and represents an achievement that Yemen needs, in such circumstances, to build on, in order to achieve successive peace achievements.
They affirmed their countries’ support for the Saudi-brokered deal and looked forward to the return of their diplomatic missions to the temporary capital of Aden, in response to Hadi’s call, in this regard.
In Aug, Yemeni government forces and STC forces, both financially backed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, were engaged in ferocious fighting over control of the south. The STC forces later seized control of Aden, the temporary capital, from the government troops.
Saudi Arabia persuaded the two sides to hold reconciliation talks, which succeeded in reaching a deal to form a new technocrat cabinet of not more than 24 ministers.
The main points of the deal also included the return of the exiled government of Hadi to Aden, and the unification of all military units under the authority of the ministries of interior and defence.
The Saudi-brokered deal excluded the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who are still controlling Sanaa and other northern provinces.– NNN-SABA