The UN’s new peace envoy for Yemen said Tuesday (April 17th) he will present a plan within two months to re-launch negotiations to end the war, but warned that missile strikes on Saudi Arabia risked derailing the effort, AFP reported.
Addressing the UN Security Council, Martin Griffiths said a possible sharp escalation from the missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and intensified fighting could "in a stroke, take peace off the table".
"My plan is to put to the council within the next two months a framework for negotiations," Griffiths said in his first council report since taking over as special envoy in February.
The Arab coalition battling the Houthis (Ansarallah) on Monday warned it was ready to inflict a "painful" response if new attacks are carried out against Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh said last week it had shot down two Iran-supplied drones in the south of the kingdom and intercepted ballistic missiles fired from Yemen, the latest in a series of similar incidents.
Griffiths cited the increased missile launches, intensified military operations in Saada, ongoing airstrikes and movements of forces in al-Hodeidah region as worrisome developments.
Griffiths briefed the council after traveling to the region for talks in Riyadh, Sanaa and other key capitals on prospects for re-launching peace talks which he insisted "can be done".
