Do Grundberg's visits contribute to resolving the Yemeni crisis?

Three weeks after a visit by UN Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg to Sanaa on January 16, he went to the interim capital, Aden, in southern Yemen, on February 8 and met with a number of leaders of the Yemeni Presidential Council headed by Rashad Al-Alimi. During those visits, whether with the Houthi leaders or the legitimate government, they discussed developments in the Yemeni file and the UN efforts made with regional and international countries concerned with resolving the crisis, which has entered its ninth year.

Houthi obstructions

Although this visit is not Grundberg's first, especially since the end of the extension of the ceasefire in early October, the parties to the Yemeni conflict have not yet reached a solution regarding the settlement of the crisis, or at least a return to the humanitarian ceasefire.

This is due to the militia's continued refusal to renew the ceasefire for the fourth time, without fulfilling their alleged conditions, especially the item related to paying the salaries of all state employees in the Houthi-controlled areas from oil and gas revenues in the liberated areas under the control of the legitimate government.

Accordingly, some Yemeni parties were counting on the visit made by Grundberg to Sanaa to hold extensive meetings with the Houthi leaders and then provide a briefing to the UN Security Council on the developments of the Yemeni crisis to advance the path of a political solution, but a few days after that visit, military escalations renewed again between the forces of the legitimate government and the Houthi militants, with the latter hinting at a willingness to engage in any military battle if its demands were not met. This explains why, on February 8, coinciding with Grundberg's visit to Aden, the militia organized a large military parade in the city of Hodeidah, during which drones and naval mines were displayed. This reflects the militia’s insistence on obstructing UN moves to try to achieve any gains by putting pressure on the other parties to the conflict and the UN, especially since the leaders in Aden, headed by Rashad Al-Alimi, confirmed during their meeting with the UN envoy that the legitimate Yemeni government is keen to provide all facilities and to deal with all regional and international endeavors made to launch a political process led by the United Nations that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people to achieve security and stability.

UN moves

It should be noted that, prior to visiting to the interim capital, Aden, the UN envoy traveled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he held talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi and a number of Saudi officials about expanding the package of economic and humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people, in addition to emphasizing the need for a ceasefire in the country and reaching a comprehensive political solution to end the crisis.

There is news that Grundberg will visit the Omani capital, Muscat, during the next few days to seek the success of the negotiations between the parties to the Yemeni conflict, especially since the Sultanate of Oman has undertaken mediation efforts between the Houthis and the legitimate government, which a number of observers described as the UN’s keenness to resolve the Yemeni crisis.

Houthi gains

Yemeni political researcher Mahmoud al-Taher explained that the UN envoy’s many visits are useless, during which he tries to put pressure on the Yemeni government to obtain more gains for the Houthi militia, as he does not play his role, which should be to put pressure on the Houthi militia to comply with the international community's desire to end the war, but rather it exploits this desire in order to obtain political gains and to declare military victory over the Arab coalition and the Yemeni government.

Taher pointed out in a special statement to the Reference that the visits of the UN envoy will not contribute to resolving the files or entering into direct negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthis.

Impossible conditions

For his part, Yemeni political researcher Dr. Mutahar al-Raida said that UN Envoy Hans Grundberg carries in his bag impossible conditions that were presented to him by the Houthi militia for Rashad Al-Alimi to approve and submit to the militia's intransigence, just like previous agreements and concessions. Therefore, the crisis continues and the citizens who are lost in the midst of international and regional tensions and the leadership of a weak state that has not been able to provide them with any stability or life.

Raida made it clear that the undeclared agreements that are taking place behind the scenes between foreign parties and the Houthis will not bear fruit on the ground, because the militia's decision is not in their hands and has not been in their hands for the past eight years, just as the legitimate government hammered the iron while it was hot against the Houthi militia by drawing the world's attention to the militia’s intransigence to the agreement and the failure to reach peaceful solutions by which the blood of Yemenis would be spared.

He added that this opportunity will not be compensated, especially after US Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking announced that his country is putting its weight on a political solution, which is the only way to end the Yemeni crisis, and therefore the legitimate government must put the ball in its rightful place during this period to expose the Houthis before the world.