15-0 for Peace

U.N. Condemns Violence in Yemen

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday in favor of a resolution to condemn violence in Yemen, where months of unrest stemming from the events of Arab Spring has led to violent government crackdowns on protestors.

The 15-0 vote “demands that Yemen allow peaceful demonstrations to take place and to end government crackdowns on civilians.”

U.S. Ambassador Susan E. Rice said the “Security Council sent a strong message to President [Ali Abdullah] Saleh that it is time to heed the legitimate calls of the Yemeni people for a peaceful and orderly transition toward a unified, stable, secure and democratic Yemen.”

“President Saleh has repeatedly pledged to sign the [Gulf Cooperation Council] initiative,” Rice said. “Today, the Security Council made clear to President Saleh that his continued equivocation is weakening his country and imperiling a peaceful and democratic future for the people of Yemen.”

The resolution does not impose sanctions on the controversial and embattled president.

In a proposed deal, which is backed by the United States and the European Union, Saleh could resign from power in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

Peter Wittig, a German ambassador to the United Nations, said, “the resolution was ‘not ideal’ but ‘can make a difference.’”

“We would have liked to express those messages that are in that resolution even in a stronger and more unequivocal form, especially the strong call to President Saleh to step down,” he said.

U.N. director at Human Rights Watch, Philippe Bolopio, reiterated Witting’s statement, suggesting that the group welcomes “the long overdue condemnation of Yemeni government abuses,” but believes “the Security Council should have more clearly distanced itself from the GCC impunity deal.”

Read more at CNN.