Yemen President signs deal, rivals yet to reach agreement, UN envoy

By Shuaib M. al-Mosawa

Source: Yemen Observer

President Ali Abdullah Saleh has already signed an agreement but there is still an agreement to be signed between the Ruling Party, General People’s Congress(GPC) and the opposition group Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), said Jamal Benomar, the UN special envoy to Yemen.

“The Yemeni people have suffered throughout this crisis. This crisis has severe implications, in terms of the economic, humanitarian and security aspects,” said Jamal Benomar, UN secretary- general’s special adviser for Yemen following a meeting at the United Nations (UN) Security Council as he urged for a quick and peaceful and orderly transition start as soon as possible.

In terms of the GCC deal, Benomar said, “There is an agreement he already signed. Benomar was refereeing to President Saleh’s authorization to his deputy to negotiate a transfer of power with opposition parties.

“But there is still an agreement to be signed between the Ruling Party and the opposition,” Benomar said in informal comments to the press.

The top United Nations special envoy to Yemen briefed the Security Council on the security and political situations in Yemen, stressing the need of a quick, orderly, and peaceful transition of power.

Benomar warned that the situation in Yemen has “deteriorated very dramatically.” after he briefed the UN Security Council in closed door consultations. He noted that the Yemeni government has lost control over five provinces, in which al-Houthi rebels have total control over the northern Saa’dah province of Yemen and al-Qaeda has captured three cities in the south, including a key geographical area.

Benomar left Yemen last week after fruitless mediation efforts to reach an agreement between Yemen rivals. “Yemenis want to move with a quick transition. This is what all international efforts [and] regional efforts have been focusing on,” said Benomar.

Britain has been drafting a resolution on Yemen in consultation with France and the United States and intends to circulate it to the full 15-nation Security Council shortly after a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. Russia and China were not likely to block a resolution on Yemen, diplomats in New York said. “We would ideally like to vote on the resolution this week,” a Western diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Another diplomat said the vote would most likely take place late this week or early next week.

The GCC deal stipulates that President Saleh hand power forms an interim government and an early election.