Following presidential efforts from Yemen and support from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee has decided to remove the names of the late Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son Ahmed from the sanctions list. These sanctions had been imposed on them along with Houthi leaders about a decade ago.
Observers believe this move is part of broader efforts by Saudi Arabia and the international community to establish peace and take multifaceted steps across political, economic, social, and developmental sectors to resolve the Yemeni crisis.
A statement published on the UN website Wednesday evening confirmed that the Sanctions Committee, established under Resolution 2140, had removed the entries related to both the late President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son Ahmed Ali from the sanctions list.
The Security Council Sanctions Committee had previously imposed sanctions on President Saleh, his son Ahmed, and Houthi leaders in response to the events in Yemen following the Houthi takeover of the government led by former President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
While Ahmed Ali Saleh’s supporters welcomed the removal of sanctions, it is noted that his father was killed on December 4, 2017, after rebelling against the Houthis. Ahmed’s cousin, Tariq Saleh, survived and joined the legitimate government, eventually becoming a member of the current Presidential Leadership Council.
Ahmed Ali Saleh was a commander of the Republican Guard and special forces during his father’s rule until he was removed from his position in 2013 and appointed as Yemen’s ambassador to the UAE, where he has remained since his removal from the ambassadorial role.
With the removal of Ahmed Ali Saleh’s name from the UN sanctions list, he can now travel and access frozen funds. His supporters hope he will play a significant political role in Yemen’s future.
Tariq Saleh, a member of the Presidential Leadership Council, commented on the removal of his uncle Saleh and cousin Ahmed from the UN sanctions list. In a tweet on “X,” he expressed gratitude for the efforts made by the Presidential Leadership Council and the support from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Additionally, the government news agency Saba reported that Presidential Leadership Council member Othman Majli called Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh to congratulate him on the removal of his and his father’s names from the UN sanctions list. Majli expressed his happiness with the announcement, attributing it to the sincere efforts of the President and members of the Presidential Leadership Council, as well as the support from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He called for unity and joint efforts to restore the nation and defeat the Houthi coup.
