Sanaa chief negotiator clarifies naval blockage on Saudi Arabia follows years of unheeded peace efforts

SANAA, July 20 (YPA) – Head of Sanaa’s negotiating delegation, Mohammed Abdulsalam, said on Monday that the Sanaa-based Yemeni armed forces’ decision to impose a maritime navigation ban on Saudi Arabia was not a sudden move.

In a news statement, he clarified that a naval blockage came after years of giving Riyadh repeated opportunities to respond peacefully to Yemen’s legitimate demands.

Abdulsalam affirmed that Saudi Arabia had been given ample time to address the consequences of the aggression and blockade but had ignored efforts aimed at reaching peaceful solutions, despite the hardships endured by the Yemeni people in the hope of ending the crisis without further military escalation.

“Since the 2022 truce, Saudi Arabia had treated the consequences of the eight-year conflict as an internal Yemeni matter, attempting to distance itself from ts direct responsibility for the war and blockade while relying on delaying tactics to avoid fulfilling its obligations,” he added.

Abdulsalam also said that the recent attack on Sanaa International Airport, followed by a Saudi military statement warning that the blockade would continue, had undermined attempts to deny Saudi Arabia’s role and demonstrated that Riyadh was responsible for the airport’s prolonged closure.

He further accused Saudi Arabia of being primarily responsible for the maritime blockade on Hodeida Port, saying it had increased import costs and placed additional burdens on Yemeni civilians.

Abdulsalam stressed that the military measures announced by Sanaa are intended to pressure Saudi Arabia into fulfilling its commitments, including allowing Yemen to benefit from its national resources and addressing outstanding humanitarian issues, particularly salary payments, lifting the blockade, and completing the prisoner exchange file.

He noted that Sanaa would continue to press for the rights of the Yemeni people.

AA