A political solution to the Yemeni crisis is “not negotiable,” Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told member states of the Arab Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen during a meeting in Saudi Arabia.
“Egypt’s stance, like others in the coalition, is built on principles that are non-negotiable; that a de facto reality cannot be imposed by force, especially since the solution in Yemen is by necessity a political one that can only be achieved through UNSC resolution 2216,” Shoukry said.
He added that “any attempt to buy time or evade such a resolution” will only lead to prolonging the crisis and increase the humanitarian cost.
“The international community must hold parties that are stalling responsible for the political and humanitarian crisis in Yemen,” Shoukry said.
Shoukry stressed that Egypt has participated in the pro-legitimacy coalition to protect Arab national security, and will continue to support the legitimate government of Yemen.
Shoukry added that Egypt will not allow the security of Saudi Arabia to be threatened, especially given its connection to Egypt’s own security.
“Every attempt to escape reaching a political solution, or any attempt to use ballistic missiles, whether towards targets inside Yemen or to threaten Saudi Arabia, will be rejected by Egypt,” he asserted, adding that Egypt will participate with the coalition to combat such threats with all firmness.
The Yemeni civil war broke out in September 2014 when rebels of the Houthi movement, who are Zaydi Shia, seized the capital Sanaa from the country’s government under then-president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.
The conflict has pit Hadi’s government and the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis, who are allied with former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was ousted following the Arab Spring uprisings.
Since March 2015, more than 8,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the conflict.
Close to 2,000 Yemenis have also died of cholera since April and another 600,000 are expected to contract the infection this year.