President Al-Alimi: Yemen’s Defense of Bab al-Mandab Is a Defense of the Security of Global Maritime Passages and Life-Saving Supplies
ISLAMABAD, SEP 12 /DNA/ – Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, affirmed that Yemen, in defending Bab al-Mandab, its coasts and territorial waters against the escalating hostilities of the terrorist Houthi militias — and in making sacrifices to protect them — is not merely safeguarding its own security and sovereignty, but is also contributing to the protection of international security and the interests of the world, securing one of the most vital maritime passages for trade, energy supplies, and life-saving goods. He stated that this calls for a more effective international partnership to support the Yemeni state’s capacity to protect this strategic passage.
President Al-Alimi emphasized that the state will not retreat from fulfilling the aspirations of the Yemeni people, and will continue to fulfill its responsibility to protect its citizens, restore its institutions, extend its authority over the entirety of its territory, and protect its coasts, ports, and territorial waters. He affirmed that the legitimate government did not initiate this latest round of escalation — rather, it was the terrorist Houthi militias that chose to return to escalation — and that restoring the state’s capacity and initiative is the true guarantee of sustainable peace, not a peace built on state incapacity while the terrorist Houthi militias retain their weapons outside legitimate authority.
His Excellency called for urgent international action, in coordination with the United Nations and donors, to provide shelter, food, and healthcare for the displaced, and to support local authorities — so that thousands of Yemenis are not once again confronted with a new wave of displacement while the international community merely issues statements of concern. He reiterated the importance of the effective implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including measures to curb the flow of weapons and financing to the terrorist Houthi militias.
For her part, Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs, affirmed during her recent meetings with European Union representatives that enabling the legitimate state institutions to protect their coasts and territorial waters constitutes a fundamental pillar for the security of Bab al-Mandab, the Red Sea, and the safety of international navigation and trade. She stressed that this vital passage must remain safe and open to global maritime traffic — and must never become a tool of extortion in the hands of an armed group operating outside state institutions — in a manner that serves the interests of all nations economically connected to it, including the friendly Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which shares a deep historical relationship with the Republic of Yemen.
The Embassy of Yemen in Islamabad once again extends to representatives of the fraternal Pakistani media its highest appreciation and regard.
