RIYADH, Feb 14 (KUNA) -- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) rebuffed the Houthi coup d'etat in Yemen, and urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) members to adopt a resolution under Chapter VII of UN Charter over the Houthis' "illegitimate" seizure of power.
The Foreign Ministers of the six GCC countries, concluding a one-day urgent meeting in Riyadh over Yemen, reiterated support of the "legitimate authority" in Yemen and condemned Houthis' detention of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, Prime Minister Khaled Bahhah and the ministers.
The top diplomats, rejecting the Houthis' unilateral measures, called for the immediate release of Hadi, Bahhah and the government members.
Voicing alarm over the Houthis' seizure of power, the foreign ministers urged UNSC members to adopt a resolution under Chapter VII of UN Charter, which allows use of military force if there are breaches of peace or acts of aggression.
This resolution aims at restoring international peace and security, threatened by the coup d'etat in Yemen and the Houthis' so-called constitutional declaration, said the ministers.
Chapter VII allows UN member states to use all possible means, including economic sanctions and military action, to enforce a UN resolution.
The foreign ministers urged all Yemeni forces to resume the political process in line with the GCC initiative and its executive mechanism, as well as recommendations of the national dialogue.
They rejected the constitutional declaration, urged the Houthis to stop use of force, withdraw from all areas, hand over their weapons they seized from military and security institutions, and join the political process.
They called for urgent meetings at the foreign ministers' level in the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to reject the coup d'etat.
The UNSC should take urgent measures to guarantee safety of President Hadi, prime minister Bahhah and the rest of ministers, they said, and to enforce UN resolution 2140 to impose sanctions against anyone derailing peaceful transition in Yemen.
The foreign ministers hoped the UN endeavors in Yemen would tigger resumption of political process. But if they failed, they warned, the GCC would take measures to protect its interests related to security and stability of Yemen. They did not elaborate on these measures. (pickup previous) yms.bs