Yemen: ‘Houthis have seen no formal initiative from Saudi Arabia’

Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi has said that the Ansar Allah Movement, better known as the Houthis, have not received any written, formal peace initiative from Saudi Arabia. He insisted that as and when such an initiative is received, it will be assessed.

“If Saudi Arabia is sincere about the initiative, it should take practical decisions that start with refraining from using humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip for any other issue, either military or otherwise,” Al-Houthi told RT in response to a question about the group’s alleged rejection of a ceasefire initiative. “In order to say that we rejected the Saudi initiative, we must receive a written initiative, which we did not. The matter is still mere talk; nothing has been documented.”

The Saudis, he added, are “misleading” the people. “International law does not allow a siege to be used as a weapon while they use it, and instead of criminalising the blockade, they announced an initiative that we have not yet officially received, and the international community applauded them for it.” He pointed out that the Saudi siege is being imposed “in the middle of the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.”

The Houthi leader challenged Saudi Arabia through RT: “Embarrass us in front of the world, stop the fire and withdraw the mercenaries. Prove to the world that you are peace seekers and we aren’t.”

In closing, Al-Houthi rejected claims that the movement is subservient to Iran. “We do not accept being subordinate to anyone. Let them sign with us the comprehensive solution document that we presented, and let the world witness whether we derive our decisions from Tehran or if they are our own.”

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