The United Nations envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, arrived on Wednesday in Marib, marking his first visit to the province, which is under the control of Yemen’s UN-recognized government. This visit comes as part of the UN-led peace effort to end the war in Yemen.
Major General Sultan Al-Arada, a member of the Presidential Leadership Council and Marib Governor, received Grundberg. During their meeting, Al-Arada reaffirmed the support of the Yemeni government for the efforts of the U.N. envoy to achieve peace in Yemen.
He stressed the importance of adhering to the three fundamental references: the Gulf initiative and its implementation mechanism, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference, and U.N. Resolution 2216.
Al-Arada said, “The international community should realize that the Houthis and their militias need a preparation process to become ready for peace…This group, like other terrorist movements, can only survive in the shadow of war.”
Hours after the arrival of the U.N. envoy in Marin, the Houthi group fired two Katyusha rockets, and their explosion was heard on the outskirts of Marib city, local sources said.
Grundberg arrived yesterday in Aden in South Yemen as part of the UN-led peace efforts to push the local rivals in Yemen to agree on a permanent ceasefire.
Meanwhile, U.S. ambassador to Yemen, Steven H. Fagin, arrived on Wednesday in Hadramout, meeting with the Minister of Interior, Major General Ibrahim Haidan. The two officials discussed aspects of joint cooperation between the two countries in combating terrorism, organized crime, and law enforcement. Haidan appreciated the tangible support of the United States, especially the training for the Yemeni Ministry of Interior cadres.
Mediation efforts to end the war in Yemen have intensified over the past months. Regional and international peacemakers seek to push the warring sides to de-escalate, agree on a mechanism for paying the public employees’ salaries, re-open roads, extend the ceasefire, and share the national resources of Yemen, according to political observers.