Middle East minister issues statement on Houthi sanctions for Saudi border attacks

Foreign office minister James Cleverley has issued a statement affirming Tuesday’s decision to impose sanctions on Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The minister for the Middle East and North Africa said today: “On 9 November we achieved international agreement to impose sanctions against Houthi military leaders. Muhammad Abd Al-Karim Al-Ghamari and Yusuf Al-Madani are generals who have been sanctioned for leading Houthi offensives throughout Yemen, particularly in Marib, and for orchestrating cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia. Saleh Mesfer Saleh Al-Shaer used his position to seize the assets of opponents and circumvent the UN arms embargo.

“The Houthis, and all other parties to the conflict, need to engage constructively on negotiations. Dialogue is the only way to sustainably end this conflict and alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis.”

The Houthi movement are an Islamist political and military movement that emerged in north Yemen in the 1990s and who have controlled vast swathes of the country since 2015.