On April 14, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted resolution 2216, after weeks of intensive debate. It represents the clearest and most comprehensive statement today by the international community on Yemen.
The UNSC condemned the Houthi militias and imposed an arms embargo and sanctions on their leader as well as on Ahmed Saleh, the son of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The Council strongly reaffirmed its support for President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and called on “all parties and Member States” not to undermine his legitimacy.
The resolution cited President Hadi’s letter informing the Council that he had asked GCC and Arab League countries to “immediately provide support, by all necessary means and measures, including military intervention, to protect Yemen and its people” from Houthi aggression.
It commended the GCC efforts in Yemen and emphasized “the need for the return to the implementation of the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism and the outcomes of the comprehensive National Dialogue conference.”
The UNSC condemned “in the strongest terms the ongoing unilateral actions taken by the Houthis, and their failure to implement the demands in resolution 2201 (2015) to immediately and unconditionally withdraw their forces from government institutions, including in the capital Sanaa, normalize the security situation in the capital and other provinces, relinquish government and security institutions, and safely release all individuals under house arrest or arbitrarily detained.”
It deplored “any attempt by the Houthis to take actions that are exclusively within the authority of the legitimate government of Yemen,” expressing alarm that “such actions taken by the Houthis undermine the political transition process in Yemen and jeopardize the security, stability, sovereignty and unity of Yemen.”
UNSC welcomed “the intention of the Gulf Cooperation Council to convene a conference in Riyadh, upon the request of the president of Yemen, with the participation of all Yemeni parties to further support the political transition in Yemen.” The resolution’s operational paragraphs then put in clearest terms the steps needed to be taken:
It demanded that “the Houthis immediately and unconditionally (a) end the use of violence; (b) withdraw their forces from all areas they have seized, including the capital Sanaa; (c) relinquish all additional arms seized from military and security institutions, including missile systems; (d) cease all actions that are exclusively within the authority of the legitimate government of Yemen; (e) refrain from any provocation or threats to neighbouring states, including through acquiring surface-to-surface missiles, and stockpiling weapons in any bordering territory of a neighbouring state; (f) safely release Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Al-Subaihi, the Yemeni defense minister, all political prisoners, and all individuals under house arrest or arbitrarily detained; and (g) end the recruitment and use of children and release all children from their ranks.”
The Council also “urged” “all Yemeni parties to respond positively to the request of the President of Yemen to attend a conference in Riyadh, under the auspices of the Gulf Cooperation Council.”
The rest of the resolution deals with the arms embargo and new sanctions on Abdel Malek Al-Houthi and Ahmed Saleh, to be added to the previous list that included former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Abdullah Yahya Al Hakim, Abd Al-Khaliq Al-Houthi and other individuals and entities designated by the Sanctions Committee. To enforce the embargo, it called upon all member states to inspect “all cargo to Yemen, in their territory, including seaports and airports.”
The resolution, adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, lends considerable support to the position taken by Yemen’s legitimate government, Saudi Arabia and other members of the coalition carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis and their allies.
However, given the Houthis’ record of ignoring UN calls, the new resolution may not have a direct impact. However, it provides a strong push for the Yemeni government to take additional actions to restore its authority and actual control throughout Yemen. Those actions could include the following:
First, at the military level, quickly integrate units and troops loyal to the legitimate government into command and control structures that include regular forces, “popular committees” and tribal fighters, to complement the work carried out by airstrikes and achieve faster results on the ground.
Second, at the political level, convene the Riyadh Conference, which President Hadi called for on March 7, under GCC auspices. Nearly all political groups have expressed desire to take part; some have already arrived in Riyadh for that purpose, to resume political dialogue and send a message of hope to Yemenis everywhere.
Third and most urgently, move quickly to deal with the humanitarian disaster created by Houthi attacks. This week, Saudi Arabia has generously pledged $274 million for this effort, i.e. the Kingdom will finance all the funds the UN had asked for its emergency plan for Yemen.
