The accusation comes as Ansarallah-Saudi peace talks have been viewed as positive by both sides, and have resulted in the exchange of 900 prisoners
Mahdi Al-Mashat, the head of the Supreme Political Council formed by the Ansarallah resistance movement, has accused the US of obstructing peace efforts in Yemen by exerting pressure on the countries of the Saudi-led Arab coalition, Sputnik Arabic reported on 20 April.
During a speech on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, Al-Mashat stated that “During the negotiations with the Saudi side with Omani mediation, we held firm to the legitimate rights of our people for freedom and independence and to our right to stop the aggression [of the Saudi-led Arab coalition], to force them to lift the blockade, and to have them release salaries from the proceeds of our sovereign wealth.”
Mashat added further that “the United States seeks to obstruct peace efforts and does not want to solve humanitarian issues. It is not in the interest of Riyadh and the region to bow to American pressure.”
“Yielding to US pressure and efforts will be at the expense of the aggressor countries and will bring them destruction and instability,” he said.
Mashat also said that the tragedy of the victims killed in a stampede on 19 April was a “vivid witness to the effects of the aggression and the brutal blockade on Yemen.”
At least 78 people were crushed to death in Sanaa as hundreds of people crowded into a school in the Bab al-Yemen district. They had hoped to receive a charitable donation of about $10 being handed out to mark the final days of Ramadan.
The Ansarallah-Saudi peace talks began on 8 April, when official Saudi and Omani delegations arrived in Sanaa for a six day visit.
At the end of the visit, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced that its delegation “had held a series of meetings in Sanaa, which witnessed in-depth discussions on the humanitarian situation, the release of all prisoners, a cease-fire, and a comprehensive political solution in Yemen, which were transparent in an optimistic and positive atmosphere.”
It added, “Given the need for more discussions, these meetings will be completed as soon as possible, leading to a comprehensive and sustainable political solution acceptable to all Yemeni parties.”
Ansarallah described the talks as “serious and positive,” stressing “progress on some issues in the hope of completing research on outstanding issues at a later time.”
As part of the talks, the two sides have exchanged some 900 prisoners.
Another round of talks is scheduled for after the Eid al-Fitr holiday to discuss the more contentious issues that have not yet been resolved.
The talks seek to end a war that began in 2015, following Ansarallah’s September 2014 capture of most of the governorates in central and northern Yemen, including Sanaa. In response, the Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and with the backing of the US and UK, launched military operations in support of the Yemeni army to recover those areas from the group’s control.
By the end of 2021, the war in Yemen and the accompanying Saudi-UAE blockade on the country had killed some 377,000 people and created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.