Yemen conf. calls for national dialogue under legitimate gov't

BRUSSELS, May 16 (KUNA) -- A conference on Yemen held in Brussels on Tuesday called for the return of the legitimate government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to administer the country and bring peace and stability.
"The New Dimension in the Middle East - Yemen as a Case in Point" was the topic of the conference organised by the Forum of Wisdom and World Peace, a Brussels-based think-tank.
Opening the conference, Khalid Hajji, President of the Forum, presented a historical perspective of the conflict in Yemen and said wisdom must be used to resolve this conflict. Hajji said the one-day meeting will shed light on the role of the coalition led by Saudi Arabia in restoring legitimacy, and the nature of the Houthis' clash with Yemen's central government.
Jamal Abdullah, from the Middle East Centre, Saint Antony's College, Oxford University said that the conflict started in March 2015 when the Iran-backed Houthis began attacking the border of Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah said that the Saudi-led coalition argues that its right of intervention is based on the article 52 of the UN Charter that gives the country a right to defend its border.
Secondly, the legitimate President of Yemen called on the Saudi Government and other Gulf countries to protect the country from foreign interference.
Referring to calls for dialogue between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Iran, he said that the Saudi leaders do not trust the Iranian leaders, but added that Turkey could play a role of a guarantor if such a dialogue takes place.
He stressed that the new Saudi Arabia has become "very dynamic" under the new leadership.
Bara Shiban, a Yemeni human rights researcher, said no single group or party can rule in the country and he called for a National Dialogue to resolve the conflict.
He lamented that the West is only focused on counter-terrorism and fighting radicalisation issues and has no clear strategy on Yemen.
He called on Arab countries to step in to say that we can deal ourselves with the situation in Yemen.
Mustafa Aljabzi, a researcher and political advisor, said a National Dialogues should be followed by a constitution and then a referendum.
He noted that 2 million Yemenis are living in Saudi Arabia who send around USD six billion to their home country that contributes to the economic development of the country.
Speakers also called for a stop to Iranian intervention in Yemen. (end) nk.gb