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Yemen: UN welcomes new government aimed at bringing peace to country

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
UN Photo/Mark Garten (file)
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Yemen: UN welcomes new government aimed at bringing peace to country

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the formation of a new Peace and National Partnership Government in Yemen aimed at ending a period of political turbulence and bringing about a full transition towards democracy in the country.

In a statement attributable to his spokesperson, Mr. Ban congratulated President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and Prime Minister-Designate Khaled Bahah for their leadership during the process and commended all parties for their pledge to accept and extend their “unwavering support” to the new government.

“At this uncertain and fragile time for Yemen, today's announcement is a positive step towards political stability and peace in the country,” Mr. Ban's spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said in the statement.

“Yemen is facing enormous challenges at present, which can only be overcome if all sides work together in the greater national interest to implement the Agreement without delay.”

The Secretary-General has long underscored the importance of rapidly implementing the recently signed Peace and National Partnership Agreement and its Annex.

In September, the Yemen Government and its opponents reached a peace pact, welcomed by the UN Security Council, which called for its full and immediate implementation, an immediate end to all attacks and threats, and the rapid formation of a new government.

Yemen has recently emerged from a complex UN-backed transition, but the past few months have been marked by violence and unrest in some parts of the country, with thousands of Houthi people from the north descending on Sana'a, the capital, as well as a spate of deadly terrorist attacks.

In today's statement, Mr. Ban called on all parties to remember the commitments made in signing the Peace and National Partnership Agreement, adding that the UN would remain engaged with all Yemen stakeholders as they moved forward in the process.

“The United Nations looks forward to continuing its engagement with the President, the Prime Minister, the Government and all Yemeni leaders as they seek to build a new democratic Yemen that responds to the legitimate aspirations of its people,” the statement concluded.

At the same time, the UN Security Council also welcomed the announcement of the formation of a new Yemen Government as it urged all parties and political actors to unite behind the leadership in the interest of keeping the country “on the path to stability and security.”

In a statement released late this afternoon, the 15-member Council reminded all stakeholders in Yemen “to adhere to resolving their differences through dialogue and consultation, reject acts of violence to achieve political goals, refrain from provocation” while also “moving forward with an inclusive transition process that represents all of Yemen's diverse communities.”

The Council statement added that the body would “remain closely engaged” on the situation in Yemen and the next steps toward a peaceful political transition and welcomed the ongoing diplomatic efforts made by the Gulf Cooperation Council, 'the Group of Ten Ambassadors,' the UN Secretary-General's Good Offices, including through the Special Adviser Jamal Benomar, and the wider diplomatic community.