On Monday 3 April, the EU foreign affairs ministers called on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to agree urgently on a cessation of hostilities, to be monitored by the United Nations.
This cessation would be the first step towards the resumption of the peace talks conducted under the aegis of the UN, the ministers say in their press release. In order to facilitate a return to the political path, it will be crucial to implement measures aimed at establishing a climate of trust, the ministers add.
This must not become a forgotten crisis, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini told press, adding that, politically, the crisis is becoming deadlocked, which should not be allowed to happen. The Council thus calls on all parties to the conflict to respond to the UN's efforts with a view to reaching a resumption of the negotiations flexibly and constructively, without preconditions, and with a view to implementing fully all the arrangements of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
The EU is ready to redouble its efforts to support the UN's actions in order to try and reach a successful political resolution of the crisis. It proposes its services to the parties so that the hostilities might cease and negotiations be started, the ministers add. When questioned by EUROPE, Mogherini said the EU was not only a top level donor but also an actor that had confidence in the different regional actors involved in the conflict – which gave it a possibility to facilitate, perhaps, an understanding and a common ground for a non-military solution to the crisis.
The EU foreign ministers add that the international and regional actors must cooperate constructively with the parties that are present in order to enable a de-escalation of the conflict and a negotiated settlement that respects Yemen's independence, unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The targeted embargo on weapons that was imposed by the UN Security Council must be implemented fully, the ministers add, saying that the rules announced in the common position (2008/944) on arms exports must be strictly applied.
The EU is also alarmed at the consequences of the war in Yemen for the stability of the region. The ministers say that the war has created a fertile ground for criminal organisations and terrorists, and add that it is of particular importance for all the parties to the conflict to act with determination against these groups.
In the face of a disastrous humanitarian situation, the EU's foreign ministers underline the urgent need to remove the obstacles that prevent the supply of vital aid. They also say there is an urgent need to facilitate the swift and unhindered channelling of impartial humanitarian aid, which should be supplied without any adverse distinction. It is thus essential for all the maritime ports – especially that of Hodeida – to remain accessible, the ministers state, calling for the re-opening of Sanaa airport. Ready to step up their humanitarian aid, the EU and its member states again underline the need to coordinate the humanitarian action under the aegis of the UN, and they call on all countries to respond to the humanitarian needs. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)