UAE to resume embassy work in Aden

Abu Dhabi, Feb 27 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced Friday that it will resume its Yemen embassy's work the port city of Aden

Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, minister of state for foreign affairs, said in a statement that this decision comes to consolidate the constitutional legitimacy in the sisterly state of Yemen represented in President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, his government, the GCC Initiative and agreed political process in accordance to the recent GCC Foreign Ministers' statement and the UN Security Council Resolution No. 2201, as well as Yemeni consensus through the inclusive political dialogue.

Gargash reiterated the UAE's absolute rejection to the Shia Houthi coup d'etat in Yemen's capital Sanaa and subsequent arbitrary measures on the legitimacy, noting that the security and stability of Yemen "is through restoration of the legitimacy and political process that resulted from the GCC Initiative to preserve the national unity and stability of Yemen".

Hadi took power in 2012, but submitted his resignation to parliament Jan 22 amid a standoff with the Houthi group.

On Feb 6, the Houthi group announced a unilateral move to dissolve the parliament of Yemen and form a presidential council to take over power, which was rejected by Yemen's political parties and denounced by the Gulf Arab states.

The security situation deteriorated in Yemen since January when the Shia Houthi group seized the presidential palace in Sanaa after deadly clashes with presidential guards, leading to the twin resignations of Hadi and prime minister Khaled Bahah.

UAE was among a number of nations, including the US and Britain, that closed their missions due to the deteriorating security situation in the impoverished Arab nation.

The Shia Houthi group, also known as Ansarullah and based in the far northern province of Saada, has been expanding its influence southward after signing a UN-sponsored peace and power-sharing deal Sep 21, 2014, following weeks-long deadly clashes.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Feb 7 rejected the Shia Houthis' takeover in Yemen and warned of steps to protect its members' interests, media reported.

In a meeting in Riyadh, the GCC said the Gulf nations would continue to stand with the Yemenis and criticised the Shia Houthi group's latest move denouncing it as a coup that would end the peaceful political process in Yemen.

The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

"This Houthi coup is a dangerous escalation which we reject and is unacceptable. It totally contradicts the spirit of pluralism and coexistence which Yemen has known," the six-nation bloc said.

Hadi, who was under house arrest in Sanaa and later managed to escape from the capital, late Monday night submitted an official letter to the parliament speaker and representatives, asking to withdraw his resignation.

On Sunday, Hadi started to discharge his presidential duties by holding a number of meetings with high-ranking military officials and governors from the country's northern and southern provinces, according to government sources.

During the meeting, Hadi confirmed that he was the legitimate president and reassured his commitment to the political process based on the GCC initiative as the main reference.

--IANS/WAM

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