MUSCAT: US President Joe Biden expressed his gratitude for the leadership role of the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in bringing ceasefire to fruition before the holy month of Ramadhan.
In a statement, the US president said, “The initiative, much awaited by Yemeni people, entails a halt to all military activities by any party inside Yemen and across its borders, the entry of fuel ships into Hudaydah Port, and the renewal of commercial flights to and from Saana to agreed destinations. These are important steps, but they are not enough. The ceasefire must be adhered to, and as I have said before, it is imperative that we end this war after 7 years of conflict.”
The statement added: “Negotiators must undertake the hard and necessary work to reach political compromises that can bring about an enduring future of peace for all the people of Yemen.”
For his part, Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Yemen, said the aim of the truce is to give Yemenis a necessary break from violence, relief from the humanitarian suffering and most importantly hope that an end to this conflict is possible, affirming that during these two months, he plans to intensify his work with the parties with the aim to reach a permanent ceasefire.
The Sultanate of Oman, through the Foreign Ministry, has welcomed the declaration of a two-month ceasefire in Yemen by Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Yemen.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Foreign Ministry commended the positive outcome of the talks held by the UN special envoy during his recent visit to Muscat.
The Sultanate of Oman affirmed the continuation of its efforts with the UN and stakeholder parties to end the war in Yemen and reach a comprehensive political settlement.
Yemen’s warring parties are set to lay down their weapons for the first nationwide truce since 2016 on Saturday with all eyes on whether the UN-brokered ceasefire will hold.
The Ansar Allah and Saudi-led coalition have both agreed to observe the two-month truce, which is to take effect at 1600 GMT on the first day of Ramadhan.
Yemen’s intractable war has killed hundreds of thousands directly or indirectly and displaced millions, triggering the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations. — ONA