Ceasefire in Yemen agreed
Following the Saudi-led military coalition's bombing of a funeral in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, which left 140 people dead at the beginning of October, a three-day ceasefire is to begin on Thursday. Commentators call on the West to reduce its support for Saudi Arabia and to seek a peaceful solution for Yemen.
West playing a dubious role
The Saudi air force apparently used bombs made in the US for the attack on the funeral ceremony in Sanaa. The West urgently needs to reconsider its role in the Yemen war, Helsingin Sanomat demands:
“A bloody war is raging in Yemen. The bloodshed is similar to that in the war in Syria - but without all the international attention. Several Western countries have ended up playing a dubious role in Yemen. … The bombardment of the funeral ceremony has exposed how dirty the war in Yemen is. The US, the UK and France need to consider the political price they are willing to pay for supporting Saudi Arabia, their most important ally in the Middle East, in the Yemen war. At the same time the West is demanding that the war crimes committed in Syria, where Russia is participating in bombardments targeting civilians, be investigated.”
Peace in Yemen would point the way forward
The war in Yemen is of central importance for the entire region, Badische Zeitung stresses:
“After the massacre in Sanaa, reducing arms deliveries - not only from the US - would send the right signal which is long overdue to Riyadh. Almost 4,000 civilians have already been killed in the Saudis' bombing war. 15 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid. Yemen is facing the threat of famine. Aid organisations have reported outbreaks of cholera. What we are seeing in Yemen is not just a humanitarian tragedy. There, too, the Saudis and Iranians are locked in a battle for control of the Middle East. Compared with Syria the war in Yemen is just a sideshow which, with the good will of the directly and indirectly involved parties, could no doubt be resolved more speedily than the murderous Syria conflict. One thing is for sure, peace in Yemen would point the way forward for the entire Middle East.”
Saudi Arabia must stop bombing
The Saudi-led military alliance's bombing of a funeral hall in Sanaa must not go unpunished, the London-based Palestinian daily Al-Quds al-arabi urges:
“The governments participating in the war in Yemen must bear the legal and moral responsibility. It's time for them to rethink their military action against the rebels and ex-president Saleh. ... Furthermore the economic costs of the war, which all the Gulf states must bear in times of sinking oil prices, must also be borne in mind. The drop in the price of oil has already led to tough cost-cutting measures. The bombing of the funeral in the capital also comes as a warning not to rely only on military means to resolve the conflict in Yemen but also to deal with the catastrophic situation the country finds itself in. ... Otherwise there will be no end to the mourning.”