STC Foreign Affairs Deputy Director: Houthi Intransigence and Their Maritime Escalation Confirm the Need for a Comprehensive Deterrence Strategy

Mr. Anis Al-Sharafi, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Authority (FAEA) of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), held a meeting on Sunday with Mr. Edward Jackson, Director of the Office of the UN Special Envoy in the capital, Aden, during which they discussed the latest developments related to the efforts being made by the international community and countries of the region to end the war and bring about peace in the South, Yemen, and the region.

Mr. Al-Sharafi reiterated the importance of fully activating the joint negotiating team of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), the implementation of agreed-upon commitments in the Riyadh Agreement and Consultations, and for the joint team to be directly empowered to carry out its tasks in various political, economic, and military negotiation files and issues.

Al-Sharifi warned against ignoring the cause of the people of the South in the course of the negotiating process, which could lead to future conflict-prone regions, highlighting the need to develop a special framework for the cause of the South in all phases of the UN-sponsored political process.

He highlighted that the Houthi militia's intransigence, rejection of all calls for dialogue and peace, and disregard for international calls to release UN staff and cease escalating tensions in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and various frontlines with the South underscore the need for a comprehensive local, regional, and international deterrence strategy to counter the threat they pose to international security and peace.

At the end of the meeting, Al-Sharafi praised the efforts of Mr. Jackson during his tenure as director of the UN Special Envoy's office in, the cqpital, Aden, affirming the keenness of the STC to ensure the success of the UN's peace efforts.

For his part, Mr. Jackson expressed his gratitude to the leadership of the STC, led by President Aidrous Qassem Al-Zubaidi, and lauded the role of both the STC and the PLC in facilitating his work over the past period.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Najib Qayid, Head of the Department of International Organizations and Human Rights at the FAEA, and from the Office of the UN Envoy: Mr. Bert Scott, Political Affairs Officer, and Mr. Hadeel Samir, member of the Political Affairs Department in the Office of the UN Envoy in the capital, Aden.