UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomes the resumption of UN-led talks in Yemen, where the Shia Houthi rebels dissolved the Yemeni parliament on Friday.
"The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement that his Special Adviser on Yemen, Mr. Jamal Benomar, will be reconvening tomorrow the UN-facilitated negotiations in Yemen. He congratulates the political parties and constituencies for assuming their responsibility as leaders of the country to peacefully steer Yemen through this challenging period," the United Nations said in a statement published on its website on Sunday.
On February 6, Houthis dissolved the Yemeni parliament in the capital Sanaa and created a presidential council in a "constitutional declaration".
The UN Security Council expressed grave concern about the Houthis' takeover in Yemen, calling on them to step back and re-engage in UN-led talks.
Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and the country's government resigned in January after the Houthis captured the presidential palace and government buildings.
The Houthis, the main opposition force in Yemen, started staging massive protests against tribal injustice on the part of the Yemeni government last year, demanding the resignation of the president and several officials. Houthi militias have taken over many Yemeni cities, claiming their actions are aimed at protecting civilians from terrorism and discrimination by the government.
