YEMEN CRISIS TOPS ARAB LEAGUE AGENDA IN EGYPT

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby, left, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri speak during a press conference following an Arab foreign ministers meeting ahead of a weekend summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt, Thursday, March 26, 2015 (Photo: AP)

Cairo, 8 Jumadil Akhir 1436/28 March 2015 (MINA) – Yemen conflict involving Houthi rebel militias and Yemeni government security forces became a top issue in the Arab League summit that will take place today in Cairo.

Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi arrived in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh on Friday to attend the Arab League summit, a few days after a Saudi-led regional coalition launched air strikes against the Houthi rebels that have taken control of large parts of Yemen.

Hadi flew to Sharm from Saudi Arabia capital Riyadh, where he fled on Thursday after the Saudi air strikes began.

“We cannot say that the plans are final yet but this is the most likely scenario; it makes sense to have him at the seat of his country at the opening of the Arab summit because this would send a clear message on where the Arab countries stand…almost collectively on the matter,” said an Egyptian diplomatic source, Ahram quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

“Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi at the Sharm El-Sheikh international airport after he arrived from Riyadh,” said the official Twitter account of El-Sisi.

The participation of Hadi is not that consequential in any event, according to Arab League sources who spoke to Ahram Online, to the resolutions on Yemen that will be adopted by the Arab summit, as its annual gathering comes to a close on Sunday.

At any event, say sources at the 70-year-old organisation, the Arab summit, upon the wish of the Arab Gulf states and despite the isolated protests of countries like Algeria and Iraq, will adopt a resolution to support the Saudi air strikes targeting Houthi bases in Yemen since the crack of the dawn of Thursday, prior to the convocation of the Arab foreign ministers meeting.

“There are no two ways about it, the war started and the Saudis, despite the appeal of close allies including Egypt and the UAE, declined to wait pending the adoption of an Arab League resolution, much less a UN Security Council resolution, and would not go back before they have Hadi Rabou re-instated,” said one of the Arab League sources.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia and regional allies carried out airstrikes against Houthi rebel sites in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, after Houthi fighters on Wednesday stormed the southern coastal city of Aden.

Egypt announced on Thursday that it will deploy navy and air forces to participate in the operation.

Sudan and Jordan have also confirmed that they will join Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in the Saudi-led military coalition, while Saudi Arabia has said that Pakistan and Morocco will also join.(T/R04/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)