Yemenis lower expectations regarding US peace effort
Since his appointment in February, the US envoy to Yemen has striven to revive diplomatic efforts in a bid to stop the war; yet the situation in Yemen remains bleak, and violence has not ebbed away.
Peace negotiations between Yemen's UN-recognized government and the Houthi rebel group have proved futile over the last six years. All efforts aimed at stopping the ruinous strife have not scored any remarkable progress. Hopes arose following the victory of President Joe Biden in the US election in November. Biden has been earnest to help stop the devastating war that has rendered Yemen the abode of the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Although nearly four months have gone by since the appointment of US envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking, the cycle of violence has not waned, and Yemenis fear diplomacy remains ineffective to help mitigate the hostilities.
Some Yemenis reckon that US-led diplomatic efforts will not pay off given the Houthi group's agenda and ideology. The failure of previous peace talks could be a predictor of what is in store for Lenderking's peace plans in Yemen.
Khalil Muthanna al-Omary, a political commentator and editor-in-chief of Rai Alyemen news website, told Al-Monitor that the United States could pressure the Yemeni government to act in a specific direction; however, it has failed to pressure the Houthi group to respond positively to the peace proposals.
