On
Yemen, New UN
Aid Chief
Speaks to
UNSC, Not Press
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June
3 -- The UN
Secretariat's
bungling of
Yemen
mediation has
become ever
more clear,
according to
multiple
sources and
documents
exclusively
seen by Inner
City Press,
see below.
On
June 3, the UN
Security
Council got a
briefing about
Yemen from new
UN Emergency
Relief
Coordinator Stephen
O'Brien. Inner
City Press staked-out
the meeting
and was told
that O'Brien
would speak.
But when he
emerged, he
begged off.
While
perhaps this
is because his
first week,
the Free
UN Coalition
for Access
believes
O'Brien should
speak on the
record,
particularly
on Yemen at
this point (as
well as Sudan,
Burundi and so
forth).
O'Brien did
not speak, but
Russia's
Vitaly Churkin
did, including
about O'Brien.
Churkin said
"Mr O’Brien,
it’s his first
appearance at
the Security Council,
his account
was very
graphic, about
the
humanitarian
consequences.
Over 2000
people dead, a
lot of
destruction,
the fact that
it’s difficult
to bring in
humanitarian
supplies, it’s
difficult to
bring in
commercial
supplies.
Commercial
supplies and
the situation
in Yemen, it’s
also a
humanitarian
aspect of the
whole
situation,
because it
doesn’t
include the
fuel oil, and
without fuel
the country
cannot
function
because of
electricity
and things
like that. So,
it’s extremely
dramatic
situation and
a strong
reason to stop
fighting and
start
seriously to
talk, without
preconditions,
as the
statement
which we
adopted
finally last
night is
pointing out."
On
June 2 the UN
Security
Council has
issued a Press
Statement
calling for
the resumption
of talks -- on
information
and belief on
June 10 -- in
Geneva,
without
preconditions.
Here is the
Security
Council Press
Statement,
eights minutes
after it was
issued:
"The
members of the
Security
Council
expressed
their deep
concern about
the grave
situation in
Yemen. In this
regard, the
members of the
Security
Council were
deeply
disappointed
that the
consultations
in Geneva
planned for 28
May did not
take place.
The members of
the Security
Council urged
Yemeni
stakeholders
to participate
in the
UN-brokered
inclusive
political
consultations
as soon as
possible.
The members of
the Security
Council
recalled
Security
Council
resolutions
2014 (2011),
2051 (2012),
2140 (2014),
2201 (2015)
and 2216
(2015),
emphasizing
the need for a
peaceful,
orderly,
inclusive and
Yemeni-led
transition
process. The
members of the
Security
Council
reiterated
their demand
for the full
implementation
of relevant
Security
Council
resolutions,
and reiterated
their call
from
resolution
2216 (2015) on
all Yemeni
parties to
resume and
accelerate
UN-brokered
political
inclusive
consultations.
The members of
the Security
Council
reaffirmed
their call on
Yemeni parties
to attend
these talks
and engage
without
preconditions
and in good
faith,
including by
resolving
their
differences
through
dialogue and
consultations,
rejecting acts
of violence to
achieve
political
goals, and
refraining
from
provocation
and all
unilateral
actions to
undermine the
political
transition.
The members of
the Security
Council
emphasized
that the
UN-brokered
inclusive
political
dialogue must
be a
Yemeni-led
process, with
the intention
of brokering a
consensus-based
political
solution to
Yemen’s crisis
in accordance
with the Gulf
Cooperation
Council
Initiative and
its
Implementation
Mechanism, the
outcomes of
the
comprehensive
National
Dialogue
conference,
and relevant
Security
Council
resolutions.
The members of
the Security
Council
reiterated
their full
support for
the efforts of
the United
Nations and
the Special
Envoy of the
Secretary-General
on Yemen, and
further
reiterated
their request
of the
Secretary-General
to intensify
his good
offices role
in order to
enable a
resumption of
a peaceful,
inclusive,
orderly, and
Yemeni-led
political
transition
process that
meets the
legitimate
demands and
aspirations of
the Yemeni
people.
The members of
the Security
Council
endorsed the
UN Secretary
General’s call
for a further
humanitarian
pause in order
to allow
assistance to
reach the
Yemeni people
urgently. The
members of the
Security
Council urged
all parties to
facilitate the
urgent
delivery of
humanitarian
assistance, as
well as rapid,
safe, and
unhindered
access for
humanitarian
actors to
reach people
in need of
humanitarian
assistance,
including
medical
assistance.
The members of
the Security
Council called
upon all sides
to comply with
international
humanitarian
law, including
taking all
feasible
precautions to
minimize harm
to civilians
and civilian
objects,
including
water systems,
schools, and
hospitals, and
to urgently
work with the
United Nations
and
humanitarian
aid
organizations
to get
assistance to
those in need.
The members of
the Security
Council
stressed the
urgent need
for ongoing
commercial
supplies to
enter Yemen
because of the
heavy
dependence of
Yemen and its
people on
imported food
and fuel.
The members of
the Security
Council
reaffirmed
their strong
commitment to
the unity,
sovereignty,
independence,
and
territorial
integrity of
Yemen, and its
commitment to
stand by the
people of
Yemen."
Background:
Inner City
Press has
learned how
new UN envoy
Ismael Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
was viewed
during his
Sana'a trip as
a "tool of the
Saudis," and
how with the
UN having thus
marginalized
itself, the
process has
moved beyond
it to Oman,
with
involvement of
UN Security
Council
members which
still pay lip
service to
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed's
shrunken role.
On Cheikh
Ahmed's first
day in Sana'a,
Inner City
Press is told,
the Houthis
let him wait,
and stew. When
they met him,
he was asked
why the
previously
Yemeni-agreed
Peace and
Partnership
Agreement was
being dropped,
if he wasn't a
"tool of the
Saudis."
The answer was
not
convincing.
Cheikh Ahmed
was said to be
asking the
Saudis how
much time they
want, to
continue
bombing Yemen.
Is this was
the UN should
be, it was
asked.
Even Security
Council
(Permanent)
members who
say there is
no military
solution and
pay lip
service to
Cheikh Ahmed's
so far
unsuccessful
work are now
working around
the UN,
through Oman.
We'll have
more on this.
On May 26,
Inner City
Press asked UN
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, video here:
Inner
City Press: on
Yemen, since
we're on this
topic. I
mean that sort
of goes to the
heart of
it.
Didn't he say
there would be
no
preconditions?
So, if the
Riyadh
conference
that the
Houthis didn't
attend is
somehow
involved or a
basis of these
talks…?
Spokesman:
I think… we're
talking about
getting people
around the
table.
That's what we
want to
see. I'm
not going to
start to
negotiate from
here with the
different
parties.
Inner City
Press:
Sure.
But how about…
okay.
One's kind of
a strange
one. I
heard
something like
the children's
parliament has
been invited
and would be
flown in at
UN's
expense.
Is that the
case? Is
it true that
either the
Yemeni
Government or
the Saudi side
provided a
list of
accepting
candidates
under the
categories of
youth, civil
society and
women?
Spokesman:
I think… I
think all the
different
sides are
engaged in…
what could we
say… a
tussle.
I think what
we need to see
is we need to
see all of
them… all the
parties around
the
table. I
don't have any
specific
information on
the children's
parliament.
Question:
One more?
Spokesman:
I'll come back
to you.
Some
of the UN's
bungling is
entirely
public.
Two days after
Inner City
Press and
others
reported that
the May 28
talks were
postponed or
canceled, only
on the
afternoon of
May 26 did Ban
confirm the
postponement.
Here is his
announcement:
"The
Secretary-General
has asked his
Special Envoy
to Yemen,
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed,
to postpone
the
consultations
in Geneva
planned for 28
May following
a request from
the Government
of Yemen and
other key
stakeholders
for more time
to prepare.
The
Secretary-General
is actively
working to
convene the
talks at the
earliest
possible time.
The
Secretary-General
is
disappointed
that it has
not been
possible to
commence such
an important
initiative at
the soonest
possible date
and reiterates
his call for
all parties to
engage in
United
Nations-facilitated
consultations
in good faith
and without
pre-conditions.
He also
reiterates
that the only
durable
resolution to
the crisis in
Yemen is an
inclusive,
negotiated
political
settlement.
The
Secretary-General
has instructed
his Special
Envoy to
redouble his
efforts to
consult with
the Yemeni
Government,
Yemen’s
political
groupings and
countries in
the region
with the aim
of producing a
comprehensive
ceasefire and
the resumption
of peaceful
dialogue and
an orderly
political
transition.
Noting that
the conflict
has escalated
once again
following a
much-needed
five-day
humanitarian
pause, the
Secretary-General
urges all
parties to be
mindful of the
suffering of
Yemeni
civilians, and
to support the
efforts of the
Special Envoy.
He is acutely
aware that a
postponement
or delay in a
return to the
political
process will
exacerbate a
steadily
deepening
humanitarian
crisis.
The Geneva
initiative,
aimed at
bringing
together a
broad range of
Yemeni
governmental
and other
actors,
follows
extensive
consultations
by the Special
Envoy as well
as strong
expressions of
support by
various
Security
Council
resolutions,
including 2216
(2015), for a
peaceful and
Yemeni-led
political
transition
process based
on the Gulf
Cooperation
Council
Initiative and
its
Implementation
Mechanism and
the outcomes
of the
comprehensive
National
Dialogue
Conference. "
On
May 24 Inner
City Press was
informed that
the UN already
informed the
Houthis and
other
participants
that May 28
was off.
But what were
and are the
Saudis'
demands? Inner
City Press is
exclusively
informed by
well placed
sources that
the Saudis
demand that
the basis --
and
constraints --
of the Geneva
meeting be the
"Riyadh
Declaration,"
reached
without any
involvement by
the Houthis.
The UN already
let the Saudis
name
individuals
who would
attend under
the heading
"women, youth
and civil
society." The
GCC and the
G14 were to
attend -- the
deck was
already
stacked for
the Saudis.
But they
wanted the
Riyadh
Declaration as
the basis
(just as they
excluded the
September 2014
Peace and
Partnership
Agreement).
Or,
as one well
place source
put it, the
Saudis don't
WANT a UN
process, "they
want to keep
bombing,
either to
eliminate the
Houthis" - a
la Sri Lanka
and the LTTE
-- or to "make
them
capitulate and
agree to a
final meeting
in Riyadh."
The Houthis
agreeing to
that, ever,
seems
unlikely. It
is the UN of
Ban Ki-moon
that has
capitulated.
Watch this
site.
First the UN
allowed US
Secretary of
State John
Kerry to tell
it not to dare
hold Yemen
talks in
Geneva on May
11 as the UN
had planned,
as Inner City
Press exclusively
reported on
May 6.
Now the May 28
talks in
Geneva,
conveniently
after the
Houthi-less
talks in
Riyadh, will
be stacked in
ways both
pro-Saudi and
laughable,
sources tell
Inner City
Press.
New
Saudi-picked
"UN" envoy
Ismael Ould
Cheikh Ahmed,
who appeared
on the podium
in Riyadh, has
dropped from
the list of
documents on
which the May
28 talks are
based the
Peace and
Partnership
Agreement that
all Yemeni
political
parties agreed
to on
September 21,
2014.
The reason?
Saudi Arabia
doesn't like
what was
agreed to at
that time: it
created
obligations
not only for
the Houthis
but also for
Hadi. So it is
gone.
Update:
and now, at
least for now,
so is Hadi.
Despite the
May 28 talks
being Saudi
dominated,
Hadi says he
won't go
unless
Security
Council
resolution
2216 is "fully
implemented."
And about
about the
Peace and
Partnership
Agreement that
he signed but
didn't
implement?
We'll have
more on this.
Slated for
attendance on
May 28 are the
Saudi-led
Organization
of the Islamic
Conference,
the Gulf
Cooperation
Council
currently
headed by
Bahrain and
GCC
Secretary-General
Abdullatif
Al-Zayani -
but notably
not Iran. The
number of
seats for the
Houthis will
be limited.
Who else is
slated to go?
Causing
laughter in
diplomatic
circle and in
Yemen where it
is sorely
needed, Cheikh
Ahmed is
angling to fly
in the
so-called
Children's
Parliament
organized by
an NGO in
Yemen, as well
as their
parents and
guardians.
"Who is paying
for this?" one
source
demanded of
Inner City
Press.
Inner City
Press asked UN
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric at
the UN noon
briefing on
May 26.
This last step
is blamed by
the sources on
Cheikh Ahmed
having little
political
background.
Inner City
Press has
already
reported on
his failure
while
previously in
Yemen to
protect UN
staff --
failure to
pick up the
armored
vehicles from
the airport or
have the
recommended
security
detail with
staff going to
the airport,
leading to the
long
kidnapping of
a UNICEF
staffer.
But
even at
UNICEF, Cheikh
Ahmed was in
human
resources, not
substantive
policy. And
the Press
questions
about his
fishing
business and
its funders
remain
UNanswered.
We'll have
more on this.
For now, this:
Inner City
Press is
informed that
after Cheikh
Ahmed's quick
visit to Iran,
he was
summoned back
to Riyadh and,
highly
irregular for
the UN, went
without his
policy "team,"
not even a
note-taker.
What might
have been
discussed?
The UN, we
note,
routinely
refuses to
answer Press
questions.
Back on April
29, Inner City
Press asked
the UN's
deputy
spokesperson
to confirm
that the UN
was
considering
Geneva as a
venue to
continue Yemen
talks, after
its previous
envoy Jamal
Benomar
resigned in
protest of
Saudi
airstrikes and
was replaced
by a more
amenable
envoy, Ismael
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed.
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