Yemen urges U.S. to play "effective role", pressure rebel militias into stopping violations against civilians

RIYADH, 4th January 2016 (WAM) --- Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi, has urged the United States to play an effective role in Yemen and pressure the rebel militias into complying with an agreement concluded with the Yemeni government recently in Switzerland and stopping their violations against Yemeni besieged cities. He was speaking during a meeting with Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Sana'a, Richard H. Riley, during which they discussed the latest developments in Yemen including the acts of the rebel Houthi group and forces loyal to now-ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh. A recent UN-sponsored agreement between Yemen's internationally-recognised government and the rebels demands the immediate release of all prisoners and the opening of safe corridors for humanitarian aid convoys into all Yemeni governorates, in particular besieged Taez where the rebels continue to block food and medical aid from reaching civilians for the eighth month in a row. The rebels' premeditated acts, the Yemeni foreign minister said, are in flagrant violation of the international law, international human rights conventions and the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council. The Yemeni top diplomat called upon all international human rights organisations to closely monitor the situation in Yemen and condemn what he termed "the brutal behaviour of the rebel militias against the civilians with the aim of imposing alien policy and agenda on Yemeni society." For his part, the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Sana'a condemned the siege laid by the Houthi-Saleh militias to Yemeni cities with the intention to starve the civilian population. He reiterated the United States' unwavering backing for Yemen's security, stability, territorial integrity and legitimacy, represented by President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. The U.S. diplomat also reiterated his country's backing for Yemen in all circumstances and for restoring normalcy in Yemen and security and stability for its people. – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/arab/1395289901311.html