Local Editor
The head of the UN team tasked with monitoring a fragile ceasefire in Yemen arrived in the capital of Sana’a on Sunday, a report said.
Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert is heading a joint committee including members of Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement and forces loyal to fugitive former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, in charge of monitoring a ceasefire in the port city of Hodeida, AFP reported.
Cammaert was greeted by head of the Houthi delegation, Ali al-Mushki, and a number of other members of the UN team at Sana’a international airport. He did not comment upon arrival.
He is making a stop in Sana’a before heading to Hodeida, a lifeline port city that serves as the entry point for the majority of imports to war-torn Yemen, a UN official said, after holding talks Saturday with pro-Hadi forces in Aden.
On Saturday, Cammaert urged the ex-government and the Saudi-led coalition to uphold the ceasefire that came into effect last week, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
He also "sought their commitment and cooperation to secure the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid," said Dujarric, adding that Cammaert will "convey similar messages" to the Houthis in Sana’a.
On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the deployment of observers to Hodeida, which is held by the Houthis and has been subjected to an offensive by pro-Hadi forces.
A halt to fighting in the strategic port city follows intense diplomatic efforts which culminated in peace talks earlier this month in Sweden, where the warring parties agreed to the truce which came into force Tuesday.
The ceasefire remained shaky, however, with Saudi warplanes continuing intermittent strikes on Hodeida.
The UN monitoring team aims to secure the functioning of Hodeida port and supervise the withdrawal of fighters from the city.
The text approved by the Security Council "insists on the full respect by all parties of the cease-fire agreed" for Hodeida.
It authorizes the United Nations to "establish and deploy, for an initial period of 30 days from the adoption of this resolution, an advance team to begin monitoring" the cease-fire, under Cammaert's leadership.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
