Local Editor

The Houthi Ansarullah movement stressed that the presidency of fugitive former Yemeni president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi is over, as it affirmed that the Yemeni army and the popular committees are an untouchable issue.

In an interview with Sada al-Massirah, Ansarullah spokesman Mohammad Abdulsalam said that the United Nations [UN] envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed was late in responding to the movement’s letter in which Ansarullah urged an agenda for the talks.

Abdulsalam said that the revolutionary movement is sticking to its demands mentioned in the letter, accusing the other side of evading the peace talks.

"The one who is evading the political solution is the other side, because it wants to stay in power, without any legal cover", Abdulsalam said, referring to Saudi-backed Hadi and his party.

He further said that the Yemeni people do not trust the ousted government, adding that this government is incapable of taking its real role as a national government.

"The presidency [Hadi’s] is over. It was over when the period set by the Gulf initiative had ended. However, it was extended and then Hadi himself resigned", said Abdulsalam. 

Meanwhile, he stressed that the Yemeni army as well as the popular committees loyal to Ansarullah revolutionaries are untouchable because they are defending the country against the takfiri threat represented by al-Qaeda and so-called "Daesh" ["ISIL"], in addition to defending the country against the foreign invasion.

The revolutionary Ansarullah movement and Saudi-backed Hadi along with the allies of every side are expected to take part in peace talks aimed at ending the current crisis in mid-November.

A Saudi-led coalition backed by the United States has been carrying out a military aggression on Yemen by launching airstrikes against the country since March 26. The attacks began in a bid to restore power to Hadi, a close ally of Saudi Arabia.

The airstrikes have not been authorized by the United Nations [UN].

Over 2,615 civilians have been killed in the conflict in the last six months, according to the UN. Yet, other organizations put the death toll at much higher. 

According to the Yemeni health ministry, the death toll from the Saudi-led aggression is more than 6,000 so far, adding that 1,277 of those killed were children.