AL-HUOTHIS ARE BUYING AND STOCKPILING NEW WEAPONS: YEMENI RULING PARTY MEMBER

SANA’A, March 13 (Saba)- A leading member of the General People Congress (GPC), the ruling party in Yemen, has revealed that the al-Houthi rebels in northern Yemen are buying and stockpiling new weapons.

in an interview with the London-based pan-Arab daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat, Abdullah Ahmad Ghanim, chairman of the Political Department of the GPC, said that the al-Houthis so far have not adhered to the implementation of the six articles that led to halting the war in Saada province after they pledged to implement them.

The six articles of the ceasefire deal were:

- Al-Houthi commitment to ceasefire, eliminating landmines and leaving positions and hideouts.
- Rebel withdrawal from all districts of Saada and stopping interference in the local government's duties.
- Returning looted military and public equipment and properties of Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
- Releasing Yemeni and Saudi captives.
- Obeying the law and constitution.
- Pledging not to attack Saudi lands.

Saada had suffered from sporadic six-year war between the government troops and al-Houthi rebels since 2004. The last round of the war was erupted in August 2009.

On February 12th, a ceasefire deal was announced by President Ali Abdullah Saleh following the acceptance of the rebels leader of the government's sex terms.

Ghanim stressed that the reunification of Yemen on 22 May 1990 did not guarantee either to the southerners or the northerners the right to secession.

Ghanim, who has been a minister several times in the past, described the opposition parties allied within the framework of the Joint Meeting Parties as trying to topple the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and the government of the GPC.

He said that these parties are preparing an alternative to the government.

YA