Yemeni rivals breach truce
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sanaa (Reuter) - Artillery duels destroyed a short-lived ceasefire in Yemen's civil war yesterday but the government in the north, which declared the truce, said it would stop fighting the moment its secessionist southern foes did.
Each side accused the other of violating the ceasefire which the north declared from midnight on Monday following pressure from the United Nations and Gulf Arab neighbours.
Northern shells landed around Aden, self-declared capital of the south which repudiated Yemen's 1990 union agreement on 21 May. Southern artillery blasted positions of the northern army which had been trying to reunite Yemen by force.
The Foreign Minister, Mohammad Salem Basendwa, who announced the northern ceasefire, said in Sanaa yesterday the UN Secretary- General, Boutros Boutros- Ghali, had been informed of its renewed offer.
'We urged the United Nations Secretary-General to take the necessary steps to expedite enforcing the ceasefire . . . We will abide by the ceasefire the moment the mutineers stop firing at our forces,' Mr Basendwa said.
He urged Gulf Arab states - who with Egypt proposed a Security Council ceasefire resolution passed last week - to take action against the south for breaking the truce.
In Geneva, Mr Boutros- Ghali met his new Yemen troubleshooter, Lakhdar al- Ibrahimi, from Algeria, and urged the two sides to heed the Security Council demand for an immediate ceasefire.
'The Secretary-General has taken note of the first attempt at achieving a ceasefire in Yemen, and urged the parties concerned to abide by it and return immediately to negotiations which would permit a peaceful resolution of their differences,' a UN statement said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments