By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 11 --
After the UN Security
Council got briefings
public and
private about
Yemen on
December 11,
Inner City
Press asked envoy
Jamal Benomar
about the budget
and the South,
and the
Chadian
president of
the Security
Council about
the impact to
date of the
sanctions.
Benomar
acknowledged
that there are
budget
problems,
citing the
attacks on
hydrocarbon
infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia,
as Inner City
Press has
reported, has
reduced its
budget support
due to the
Houthis
advances and
participation
in government.
As to
the Hirak or
Southern
Movement,
Benomar said
he told the
Council about
their history,
growing from
marginalization,
and their
demands. Their
November 30
deadline came
and went. Now
what?
Unlike the
Houthis, Hirak
has not been
sanctioned by
the UNSC. The
Council's
president,
when Inner
City Press
asked about
the
effectively of
the sanctions
to date, cited
the public
briefing. But
what to the
members think?
Watch this
site.
On November
13, six days
after
sanctions were
imposed on
Yemen's former
president
Saleh and two
Houthi
leaders, Inner
City Press
asked the
International
Monetary Fund,
"does the IMF
have any
comment or
response to
the new
government,
the imposition
of sanctions
by the UN
Security
Council? What
is the status
of the IMF's
program in
Yemen?"
Later on
November 13,
IMF Deputy
Spokesperson
William Murray
told Inner
City Press,
"Staff is in
close dialogue
with the
authorities,
who have
reaffirmed
their
commitment to
implement
their
IMF-backed
economic
reform
program. These
reforms are
essential to
boost
inclusive
growth, reduce
unemployment
and poverty,
tackle
corruption,
and enhance
fiscal and
external
sustainability.
The three-year
economic
program, which
was approved
on September
2, 2014, is
reviewed every
six months.
The first
review is
therefore
planned for
the Spring of
2015."
The
authorities,
of course,
have to some
degree kept
changing.
We'll stay on
this.
The UN
Security
Council's
sanctions
committee on
November 7
designated for
asset freeze
and travel
bans former
President
Saleh and two
Houthi
leaders, Abd
al-Khaliq
al-Huthi and
Abdullah Yahya
al Hakim. Click here for
UNSC press
release.
After that, UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon put
out a
statement
welcoming the
new government
but not
mentioning the
sanctions:
The
Secretary-General
welcomes
today’s
announcement
of the
formation of
the new Peace
and National
Partnership
Government in
Yemen. He
congratulates
President Abd
Rabbu Mansour
Hadi and Prime
Minister-Designate
Khaled Bahah
for their
leadership
during this
process. The
Secretary-General
commends the
parties for
their pledge
to accept the
slate decided
on by the
President and
Prime
Minister, and
to 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.
The
Secretary-General
reminds the
parties of the
political
commitments
they made in
signing the
Peace and
National
Partnership
Agreement.
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 United
Nations looks
forward to
continuing its
engagement
with the
President, the
Prime
Minister, the
Government and
all Yemenis
leaders as
they seek to
build a new
democratic
Yemen that
responds to
the legitimate
aspirations of
its people.
Back on
October 31 the
US State
Department put
out this
answer to a
question taken
earlier that
day:
Question:
Do you have
any reaction
to reports
that the
Houthis have
given
President Hadi
10 days to
form a
government?
Answer: We
have seen the
reports that
speakers at a
Houthi-convened
conference
today
announced a
deadline for
President Hadi
to form a
government in
10 days.
U.S. officials
continue to
support the
efforts of
Yemen’s
political
constituencies,
especially
President Hadi
and Prime
Minister
Bahah, in
implementing
the provisions
of the
September 21
Peace and
National
Partnership
Agreement,
including the
formation of a
government.
All Yemenis,
including the
Houthis, have
an important
role to play
in working
peacefully to
form a
government
that can meet
the needs of
the Yemeni
people and
continue to
pursue the key
steps of its
political
transition.
Back on
October 13
after Yemeni
Prime Minster
designate
Ahmed Awadh
Bin Mubarak
was vetoed by
the Houthis,
on October 13
President Hadi
appointed
Yemen’s
current UN
Ambassador
Khaled
Mahfoodh
Abdulla Bahah
to the
position.
Later
on October 13
after a
three-hour UN
Security
Council
meeting, brief
"press
elements"
were
read
out at the stakeout
once again
vaguely
threatening
sanctions --
Inner City Press'
questions
including
about
secession of
the South were
not answered
-- and
welcoming
Bahah as prime
minister.
He was
Minister of
Oil and
Minerals of
Yemen from
2006 until
2008, under
Ali Saleh,
including
being “the
Chairman of
the Board of
Directors for
the Yemen
Liquefied
Natural Gas
Project with
investments of
over $4
Billion,
Chairman of
the Safer
Exploration
and Production
Petroleum
Company and,
Chairman of
the Yemen
General
Corporation
for Oil and
Gas, which
includes the
Aden Refinery
Company, the
Yemen Refinery
Company, the
Yemen Oil
Company, the
Yemen
Investment Oil
Company, and
the Petroleum
Training
Center.”
That's a
whole lot of
hydrocarbons. Watch
this site.
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