LONDON — Saudi Arabia is prepared to agree to a ceasefire in Yemen if the Iran-backed Houthis agree, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said on Monday, adding that he was cynical about efforts for peace after numerous previous ceasefire attempts had failed.
Jubeir said he hoped the United Nations would persuade parties in the conflict to come back to the negotiating table. He said Houthis would have to «come to their senses» and agree that Yemen was free.
The Saudi Council of Ministers welcomed the joint statement of the meeting in London to discuss the situation in Yemen, which expressed its support for the efforts of UN Special Envoy to Yemen and the roadmap to be submitted to the two sides on security and political steps needed to reach a political solution to the conflict and for the call on all Yemeni parties to work resolutely with the UN Special Envoy on the basis of the initiative of Gulf Cooperation Council, the outcome of the National Dialogue, and the relevant resolutions of Security Council.
The United States and Britain called on Sunday for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Yemen to end violence.
Jubeir said the Kingdom was being very careful to abide by humanitarian law in the Yemen conflict. He said that those responsible for the funeral bombing would be punished while victims would be compensated.
When asked about an offensive on the Daesh militants in the Iraqi city of Mosul, Jubeir said Daesh would lose the war. But he added that he was worried about Shia militias entering Mosul and “engaging in bloodbaths”. — Agencies
