AL-MUKLALA: Yemen's internationally recognized Presidential Council and political parties welcomed the UN's decision to lift sanctions on former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son.
The United Nations Security Council's Yemen sanctions committee removed the two individuals and businesses from its list of sanctioned individuals and businesses on Tuesday, sending Yemenis, particularly those loyal to the former president, into a state of celebration.
A decade ago, the UN Security Council sanctioned Saleh, who ruled Yemen for 33 years before being ousted in 2011 following protests inspired by the Arab Spring, and his son Ahmed, a commander of the Republican Guard and later Yemen's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, for obstructing political change in Yemen and supporting the Houthis as they expanded their power across the country.
In late 2017, Saleh switched sides and launched a military rebellion against the Houthis in Sana'a, which ended days after he was killed.
The Yemeni government recently asked the UN sanctions committee to lift sanctions on Saleh and his son, who live in the United Arab Emirates.
Yemeni government officials and political party leaders welcomed the UN committee's decision.
Tareq Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, the former president's nephew and former commander of the Royal Guard who is a member of the PLC, praised the Saudi and UAE presidential councils for being able to persuade the UN committee to lift sanctions on the two individuals.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the (Presidential) Leadership Council for all their efforts, as well as to our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates,” he said.
According to the official news agency, PLC member Othman Mujalli contacted Ahmed to congratulate him, express gratitude to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and to mobilize Yemenis to fight the Houthis.
Former Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmer, who supported the 2011 anti-Saleh protests, praised the UN's decision in a post on X on Thursday.
Yemen's army chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Zakir bin Aziz, and parliament speaker Sultan al-Baraghani also welcomed the move.
It comes after the US Treasury Department announced sanctions on Wednesday against two individuals and four companies headquartered in China and Yemen for helping the Houthi militia provide components for weapons used in attacks on warships.
“The Houthis have sought to exploit key jurisdictions such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong to source and transport essential components for their deadly weapons systems,” Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.
Sanctions have been imposed on Ahmed Khaled Yahya Al-Shahare and Maher Yahya Muhammad Mutahar Al-Kinai, while Al-Shahari United Corp. Ltd, Guangzhou Alshahari United Corp. Ltd, Hongkong Alshahari United Corp. Ltd and Yemen Telecommunication Asset Co. for Information Technology have also been blacklisted.
In response to Houthi attacks on ships in international shipping lanes, the United States has deployed naval special forces to provide protection, designated the Houthi militia a terrorist organization, imposed sanctions on companies and individuals that assist the militia in obtaining weapons, and launched strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
