The Yemeni government has said that the UN-sponsored Stockholm Deal, which was signed with Houthi militias on December 2018 in Sweden, is “dead” because it allowed the rebels to continue their military operations and deploy more forces at Yemen’s battlefronts.

“The deal became a problem rather than a solution,” Yemeni government spokesman Rajeh Badi told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday.

It has only provided a cover for Houthi military operations in addition to the deployment of militias on several fronts, he said. “We have found no positive outcome from this deal."

Badi said the Houthis wrongly benefited from the Stockholm deal while UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths and the world organization kept silence on the violations committed by the rebels.

“The military escalation in Nihm was the trigger for ending this deal and contributed to officially announcing its death,” the spokesperson said.

He said the brutal missile attack by the Iran-allied Houthi rebels on a government military base that resulted in at least 116 deaths in Marib confirms the cruelty of the terrorist militia.

Asked about the military operations in Nihm, south of the capital Sanaa, Badi said: “The morale of our troops there is high.”

He added that the Saudi-led coalition is providing unlimited support.

Badi’s comments came hours after Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdullah al-Hadrami said that the recent flare-up in Nihm during a visit by the UN envoy to Sanaa is considered to be an exploitation of the Sweden agreement and the truce in Hodeidah.

“This abnormal situation can't go on and the recent military escalation by the Houthis puts all peace efforts at risk,” the FM said.

In a statement to the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) al-Hadrami added: “We won't allow the Houthi militias to take the advantage of the Hodeidah agreement to fuel its battles in the fronts they choose".

"There’s no longer any point in sticking to the Hodeidah agreement.”

A.Awsat