Asia

Home page

Asia

UN Security Council concerned over tensions in Yemen

29 March 2012 19:47 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The UN Security Council said on Thursday that the situation in Yemen, where partisan political conflict has increased, is a cause for concern, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"The Security Council expresses concern at the recent deterioration in cooperation among political actors and the risks this poses to the transition," the 15-nation council said in a presidential statement adopted here.

"The Security Council reaffirms its Resolution 2014, and calls upon all political actors in Yemen to remain committed to the political transition, constitutional order, to play a constructive role in the process and to reject violence," said the statement.

The statement was adopted as the UN body for the maintenance of international peace and security met on the situation in the Middle East.

Under a deal signed in November 2011, former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh gave up his post after a year of protests against his rule, while Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi was elected by consensus to replace him.

"The Security Council welcomes the Yemeni-led peaceful transition process to a just and democratic political system," said the statement, noting the progress in the peaceful elections in February as well as the transfer of power to President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.

Hadi is due serve a two-year term and carry out a number of reforms in the country during the second phase of Yemen’s ongoing transition to democracy.

The council said this second phase should "focus on the holding of a Conference for National Dialogue, restructuring of the security forces, tackling the unauthorized possession of weapons outside the control of the state, passing legislation on transitional justice to support reconciliation, constitutional reform, electoral reform and the holding of general elections in 2014."

The council urged Yemen to promptly form inclusive preparatory committees for the Conference for National Dialogue, as it is important that such a dialogue be "well planned and peaceful" and integrate all major constituencies in the country.

The Security Council also called on the Yemeni government to release those protesters arbitrarily detained during the crisis, while voicing concerns about increased terrorist attacks in Yemen.

"It condemns such terrorist attacks in the strongest terms and supports the efforts of the Yemeni government to combat terrorism in compliance with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law. It expresses deep condolences to the families of the victims in the March attacks in Abyan, southern Yemen," the statement said.

Al-Qaida has remained active in Yemen, particularly in the south, where government forces, with the backing of U.S. drones, have fought the terrorist group. Several towns in Abyan, a province of Yemen, have been seized by Al-Qaida.