The Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, said the government is keen to renew the ceasefire agreement with the Houthi group, and to openly solve all problems through dialogue, Anadolu news agency reported.

Speaking at a press conference at the Yemeni embassy in the Moroccan capital Rabat yesterday, Bin Mubarak said: “Our position is clear. We support peace and are keen to renew the truce because we believe that it is a space for the Yemeni people that must be developed,” adding that Houthis want war because they benefit financially from it.

He called on the international community to end the war in Yemen.

“There is a strategic interest in the region and the world in ending this coup and restoring the Yemeni state to its role so that it becomes effective within its neighbourhood,” he continued, noting that all statements issued after the failure of talks to extend the ceasefire had been clear that the main party obstructing peace efforts is the Houthi group.

“The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg’s statement in which he announced the failure to renew the ceasefire made it clear that the Yemeni government was a positive and cooperative party,” said Bin Mubarak, adding that the European Union, the United States, the Arab world and everyone attests to that.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthi group on the minister’s statements.

On Monday, fighting resumed between government forces and the Houthi group in the south of the country, days after the end of the truce, and the failure of United Nations efforts to reach an agreement to extend it.

The truce began on 2 April and was extended twice for two months, however, the second extension ended on 2 October.

Impoverished Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa. The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

The war, in which the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) back the Saudi-led coalition, has claimed the lives of more than 377,000 Yemenis and left 80 per cent of the population – about 30 million people – dependent on aid to survive, according to UN data.

Source: Middle East Monitor