Yemen is in a Political Deadlock

On the 7^th of September, I was interviewed live on the Swedish Public Radio about the political situation in Yemen. Below is a summary of the questions and my answers: "Yemen is in a Political Deadlock"

Is there any sign of a resolution to this war?

Sadly, I do not see any such signal. Currently, there is a political a deadlock; too many actors are contributing directly or indirectly to the continuation of the war. Powerful actors like the United States and the United Kingdom, have sold weapons worth billions of dollars to the Saudis, and this exacerbates the conflict. There are no signs of resolutions but there are possible resolutions.

What are the different solutions to this conflict?

I believe that powerful countries and institutions, such as the EU, have good opportunities to contribute to the end of the war. Let me give you three examples of actions that may be taken to hopefully put an end to the war.

Firstly:

Stop the sale of weapons to the parties of the conflict. Last year, the European Parliament adopted a good and important resolution for an embargo on arms sales to Saudi Arabia. However, the resolution is not binding and the sales of weapons have therefore continued.

Secondly:

Put pressure on Saudi Arabia to end the bombings. The parties must come to the negotiating table. An increasing number of Saudi observers realise that the Kingdom cannot win this war. With the right pressure, a Saudi withdrawal can become a reality.

Thirdly,

Give Oman a central role in peace talks. Oman is the only country in the Gulf that is not part of the conflict in Yemen. The country has also good contacts with the various parties to the conflict. So these can be prerequisites for initiating a peace process.

Al Qaeda's presence in Yemen?

Al Qaeda is active in the southern part of Yemen. There is an issue with extremist groups in Yemen and of course, they are currently exploiting the chaos created by the war to grow stronger. But the world's must focus on ending the war and responding to the unfolding humanitarian crisis, only if we deal with these issues, it then becomes possible to combat extremist groups in an effective and sustainable manner