Salaries of employees: the main test for the second phase of the armistice
Sana’a brought the salary file of the employees of the government back as a main condition, as it agreed to extend the truce. This way, it has put a major test that will determine the future of the truce and peace process. Solving the salary file can constitute real progress (although in fact, it is a legitimate entitlement), and the intransigence by not interacting with this file may constitute clear proof of the futility of the armistice, and thus, the futility of the United Nations movements.
The results of the first phase of the truce were not “encouraging”, and many observers suggested not extending it, but Sana’a has given priority to the possibility of achieving progress in the humanitarian file, over the reality of the enemy’s intransigence, although the latter may consider this a success to “buy time” from behind the armistice. However, the reality is that the countries of aggression have once again put themselves through an important and sensitive test in which the repercussions of failing it will cover all the benefits of “gaining time.”
By putting the salary file on the armistice table, the enemy’s position on peace has become more exposed, especially after the last phase of the truce, which proved that there are no real intentions to open Sana’a airport and the port of Hodeidah, but rather seeks to use them as bargaining chips, which made the main objective of the armistice (which is to reach a comprehensive agreement that paves the way for a solution), and therefore the addition of intransigence in the salary file to the previous results, may close the door completely to any further extension because the picture will be complete.
Through the statement of the head of the national delegation, Mohammed Abdulsalam, about salaries, following the announcement of the extension of the armistice, it is clear that Sana’a deals with this file as a major test that determines the success or failure of the armistice, which makes the enemy’s options narrow. They will now need to show real seriousness to ensure the continuation of the truce. Repeating the experience of the past two months and relying on “mediation” and promises to extend it, even more, does not seem feasible at this stage, and the limited flights and fuel ships that were entered, after long procrastination, are not enough to continue the armistice.
Many observers suggest that the coalition of aggression will not agree to implement the salary agreement, as it relies heavily on this collective punishment as a tool of pressure and blackmail for the Yemenis. In addition, it is keen to continue looting oil and gas revenues and using them to double the economic war and finance its hostile activities.
According to statements reported by the mercenaries’ media about their negotiating team, it seems clear that there is an attempt to circumvent the salary agreement by trying to compel Sana’a to use the revenues of Hodeidah port only to pay salaries to employees in the liberated areas, and not to cover the deficit from oil and gas revenues looted by the enemy.
As we look back into the behavior of the United Nations with regard to the salary agreement, in addition to its behavior in the previous phase of the armistice, the expected result is that the UN envoy will not take serious measures with the intransigence of the coalition of aggression in this file.
But the failure of this particular file will not be easy to overlook, especially with the continued intransigence of the coalition of aggression in the rest of the files, which will make this phase of the armistice different from the previous one. The evaluation of this stage will clearly determine whether there are real “potentials” to make progress, or not.