On May 22nd upon his arrival in Sanaa, the UN Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmad was attacked by a hostile crowd that threw eggs and other items at his convoy. Subsequently, the Envoy’s vehicle convoy came under attack by gunfire. The Group of Ambassadors strongly condemns these actions and calls upon those in control of Sanaa to undertake a full investigation to identify those responsible and hold them to account. Further, the failure of those responsible for the security of the UN Special Envoy during his visit to Sanaa to acknowledge and clearly denounce this attack is extremely disturbing. This will undermine the ability of the UN and other neutral actors to operate in Yemen. Hostile media statements and incitement against the UN in the press must cease.
The Group of Ambassadors call on all sides, but particularly those in control of Sanaa to work with Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmad in good faith and to cease all non-cooperation and attacks on his role. For progress to be made, all sides must demonstrate a willingness to compromise in order to achieve an agreement which avoids the escalation of military activity and the deepening humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
