Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik stressed on Monday the need to address the real roots of the crisis in his country, which stems from the coup by the Iran-backed Houthis militias that in turn led to the humanitarian disaster.
Abdulmalik ruled out the possibility of finding peace with the militias.
He made his remarks during a speech before the opening of the High-Level Segment of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland
He clarified that his government’s vision is still focusing on addressing the real roots of the crisis and that this can be done by ending the coup and restoring the state, order, law, rights, and freedoms.
He said preserving and protecting human rights is essential to his government’s commitment to a just and sustainable peace that ends the war and restores security and stability.
Abdulmalik touched on how the war imposed by the militias had stripped away rights that his country had achieved in over six decades.
The premier noted that the Houthis had replaced those rights with “terrorism, killing, suppression of freedoms, and attempts to impose a racist, sectarian regime alien to Yemeni society.”
He accused the Houthis of brainwashing Yemeni youth with extremist terrorist ideas and targeting the rights and freedoms guaranteed by law and order, especially for women.
Moreover, he said the militias had imposed restrictive conditions to deprive Yemeni women of their right to education and work.
“We are facing a militia that does not believe in peace and works to fuel violence and conflicts,” said Abdulmalik, adding that the Houthis have a long record of foiling all agreements that aim to alleviate the suffering of Yemenis.
The latest agreement thwarted by the Houthis was the UN-sponsored nationwide truce that expired after the militias refused to expand and renew it.
Abdulmalik remarked that the militias hadn’t even respected the truce.
