YEMEN's Houthi forces say the UAE-flagged 1,666-dwt Rwabee was carrying military equipment, accusing the UN of siding with 'murderers who violate international laws,' reports Qatar-based Aljazeera
YEMEN's Houthi forces say the UAE-flagged 1,666-dwt Rwabee was carrying military equipment, accusing the UN of siding with 'murderers who violate international laws,' reports Qatar-based Aljazeera.
Yemen's Port of Hodeida, which is held by Houthi forces is Yemen's principal port on the Red Sea.
Yemeni Houthi forces. who also hold the capital Saana, have rejected a UN request to release an vessel they seized, along with its 11-member crew, saying it was carrying 'military assets'.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has described the Rwabee as a 'civilian cargo vessel' that was leased by a Saudi company and had been in international waters carrying equipment to be used at a field hospital.
Houthi official Hussein al-Azzi has claimed it was transporting military assets. 'The Rwabee vessel was not carrying toys for children but weapons,' he told the Houthis' Al Masirah television.
The UN Security Council has demanded the 'immediate release' of the Rwabee and its crew and stressed 'the importance of freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea', a strategic route for international shipping.
In a statement drafted by the United Kingdom and adopted unanimously, the 15-member Security Council demanded 'the immediate release of the vessel and its crew' and underscored 'the necessity of ensuring the crew's safety and well-being'.
It also called on 'all parties to de-escalate the situation in Yemen', including by working with the UN's special envoy to return to the negotiating table.
A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to support the internationally recognised government that was thrown out of its capital in 2014.
The Iran-backed Houthis seized the Rwabee on January 3, off the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, and then released a video showing military equipment on board, including military-style inflatable rafts, trucks and other vehicles.
Houthi promptly responded by accusing the Saudis of hostile acts, and said it was an Emirati military cargo ship, carrying military equipment, and illegally entering Yemeni waters.
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