MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. Russia is calling on all the political conflicting sides in Yemen to start a maximally broad national dialogue, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
"We hope that the leading international and regional players will use their influence on the Yemeni sides to convince them to stop violence, halt hostilities and return to the negotiating table until it is too late," the Russian diplomat said. She added that Russia "continues to actively assist the achievement of this goal." In accordance with the existing international conventions, "the host country and countries involved in the conflict are responsible for ensuring the security of diplomatic missions, including the Russian one," Zakharova noted.
Violent fighting has been going on in the Yemeni capital since November 29. Clashes began when the Houthi rebels attempted to seize a number of state buildings and facilities controlled by former president Ali Abdullah Saleh’s supporters. On December 2, Saleh broke partnership with the Houthis, and on Monday he was killed by the rebels while trying to leave the capital and move to his native settlement.
The standoff between the Yemeni government forces and rebels began in August 2014 but the conflict entered an active phase when the Saudi-led coalition intruded the country. In January 2015, the Houthis seized Sana’a and President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was forced to move to Aden, but as on March 25 the Houthis entered the city, he left the country. Since March 26, Saudi Arabia, supported by the air forces of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, has been conducting a military operation against the rebels. Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan also joined the coalition.