Asia

Home page

Asia

UN chief urges all sides in Yemen to exercise restraint, desist from provocative actions

19 September 2011 22:22 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Monday called on all sides in Yemen to "exercise utmost restraint and desist from provocative actions" amid the latest deadly clashes in the Gulf country, APA reports.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ban said he "is gravely concerned about the escalation of violence in Yemen," and "strongly condemns the excessive use of force by government security forces against unarmed protestors" in the capital Sanaa, resulting in scores of people being killed and many more injured.

Ban called on the authorities to protect civilians and uphold their obligations under applicable international law.

He also urged all political players in Yemen to engage closely with UN Special Adviser Jamal Benomar who is currently in Sanaa to continue his good offices, working closely with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and other international partners with a view to facilitating a peaceful solution to the ongoing political impasse.

At least 28 protesters were shot dead and more than 170 others injured on Monday by forces loyal to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the capital Sanaa and southern province of Taiz, medics said.