Maliki said the coalition would use troops to monitor a ceasefire in central Abyan between the government and separatist forces. The coalition called on all parties to “stop the bloodshed by concretizing itself with the Riyadh agreement,” which provided for the surrender of heavy weapons, the withdrawal of rival forces and the formation of a new government. Saeed Thabit, a Doha-based Yemen analyst, told Al Jazeera that both sides, both the government and the Houthis, had lost credibility when it comes to ceasefire agreements. Former coalition allies agreed on Monday on a ceasefire in Abyan province – a major hotbed of clashes – and on de-escalating tensions in other areas. Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that shortly after the ceasefire was announced, coalition warplanes attacked several positions in Sa`ada, Amran and Bayda provinces. On the fourth day of the ceasefire, the fragile peace dissolved when fighting broke out in several southern governorates. At least three civilians in Aden and 12 in Taiz were killed on 16 May, despite the ceasefire. [18] Agence France-Presse reported that “dozens” of people were killed in southern Yemen by the clashes, including 26 Houthi fighters and 12 pro-Hadi fighters. [19] A five-day ceasefire proposed by Saudi Arabia was agreed to by the Houthis and their military allies on May 10, 2015.
The ceasefire should allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to the country. [16] The temporary ceasefire began on the night of May 12 to allow for the provision of food, water, medical aid, and fuel throughout the country. [17] “So far, the agreement has not translated into the degree of access and impact we would like to meet the massive needs not only in Hodeidah, but in other parts of the country.” Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior official in the Houthi movement`s political bureau, told al-Mayadeen TV before the ceasefire began that the rebels wanted “a total end to the war and the lifting of the siege once and for all.” Around the same time in 2015, the media reported that Oman, the only monarchy in the Middle East that does not participate in the coalition and has a border with Yemen, had presented a 7-point plan to both Iran and Saudi Arabia. In the past, Oman has played an important role as a bridge between Tehran and the West to help nuclear negotiations and thus enjoy good relations with Iran and its GCC neighbors. Oman was also suspected of having brokered a 24-hour ceasefire, although analysts doubt Oman could contribute to closer negotiations. [20] [21] Hours after the coalition ceasefire was announced on Wednesday night, the two sides accused each other of launching attacks. The Security Council said it was “concerned about the continuation of hostilities,” urged the Houthis to commit “immediately” to a ceasefire, and called on both sides to “engage constructively on Griffiths` proposals” and reach an agreement “as soon as possible.” The next step in the agreement is a “mutual transfer of forces” out of the area, with urban security to come under the responsibility of “local security forces”. .
