Yemen Urges OIC to Condemn Saudi Aggression and Blockade

By Staff, Agencies

Yemen’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has called on Muslim countries to play a constructive role in ending what it described as Saudi aggression and an inhumane blockade against Yemen, which it said have continued for more than a decade.

The appeal came as the 52nd session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers opened in Baghdad on Saturday. The two-day meeting brings together representatives of OIC member states.

The Yemeni ministry expressed hope that participants would reject Saudi Arabia’s allegations that the Yemeni Armed Forces had launched drone and missile attacks toward the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

It denounced the accusations as false and insulting to the Yemeni people, saying Yemenis were prepared to sacrifice their lives to protect Islam’s sacred sites and sanctities.

The ministry stressed that Yemen’s demands were legitimate and centered on ending the conflict and lifting the blockade, which it said had caused widespread suffering across the country.

It also maintained that maritime navigation in the Red Sea remained secure, warning that any further escalation by Saudi Arabia could threaten shipping routes.

On July 20, the Sana’a administration announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in response to what it described as an “unjust and oppressive siege” that had continued for nearly 12 years.

The Yemeni military has since reported several operations targeting vessels linked to Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a blockade on Yemen and launched a large-scale military campaign in March 2015, with military, political and logistical support from the US and other Western countries.

The prolonged conflict has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Yemenis. The report said Saudi Arabia had failed to achieve its stated objective of reinstating a government aligned with its interests.

Yemen’s appeal to the OIC comes amid continued tensions over the blockade, regional security and maritime activity, with Sana’a urging Muslim countries to support an end to the conflict and the restrictions imposed on the country.