U.N. council calls on Yemeni president to step down

Yemeni dissident soldiers salute anti-government protesters The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution to voice "grave concern at the situation in Yemen", demanding that "all sides immediately reject the use of violence to achieve political goals ."
The Security Council "expresses profound regret at the hundreds of deaths, mainly of civilians, including women and children," said the resolution.
The Council calls upon all concerned parties to ensure the protection of women and children to improve women's participation in conflict resolution and encourages all parties to facilitate the equal and full participation of women at decision-making levels.
Yemen has been engrossed in unrest for nine months as protesters calling for the ouster of long-time leader Ali Abdullah Saleh clashed with government security forces.
The Security Council condemned "all terrorist and other attacks against civilians and against the authorities, including those aimed at jeopardizing the political process in Yemen, such as the attack on the Presidential compound in Sana'a on June 3, 2011," the resolution said.
Saleh was injured in the attack and subsequently took time away from Yemen in Saudi Arabia to recover. Since his return, he has said he is prepared to sign a power-transfer deal initiated by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) if the opposition provides guarantees from the U.S., Europe, and Gulf countries for the deal' s implementation.
In Resolution 2014, the 15-nation Security Council noted this offer by Saleh "reaffirms its view that the signature and implementation as soon as possible of a settlement agreement on the basis of the Gulf Cooperation Council initiatives essential for an inclusive, orderly, and Yemeni-led process of political transition."
The resolution called on "all parties in Yemen to commit themselves to implementation of a political settlement based on this initiative."
The newly adopted resolution was jointly presented to the Security Council by Britain and Germany.
"We urge on the back of this very strong and clear statement from the international community that President Saleh now signs the GCC agreement and takes forward the political transition as the international community has urged him to do," said Mark Lyall Grant, permanent representative of the United Kingdom to the UN, speaking to reporters outside the council meeting after the vote.
In a statement read to the press by B. Lynn Pascoe, UN under- secretary-general for political affairs, said "It is a clear sign of deepening international concern about the absence of a political settlement in Yemen and how this is contributing to a rapid deterioration in the situation in the country."
"Now is the time for the government and opposition leaders to live up to the responsibilities and reach an agreement. The resolution is clear in this regard, it calls for action without further delay," he noted.
Yemen's Nobel Peace Prize winner, Tawakkul Karman, criticized the council for not opposing a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) proposal to give Saleh immunity from prosecution if he signs the deal.
"They have to discuss the ousting of Saleh and how he has to be handed over to the International Criminal Court as a war criminal," Karman said outside the Security Council.
The resolution, unanimously agreed by the 15 members, "strongly condemns" deadly government attacks on demonstrators and backs the GCC plan under which Saleh would end his 33 years in power.
Several hundred people have been killed since protests against Saleh erupted in January.
The Security Council called on Saleh to keep a promise to immediately sign the GCC plan and for a peaceful power transition "without further delay".
Saleh has repeatedly stalled the GCC initiative that would see him step aside 30 days after it was signed in exchange for immunity from prosecution.
Karman, who was outside the Security Council for the vote, called for greater international pressure on Saleh, saying the resolution should have been tougher.
"This is not enough," she told reporters.
"We feel that the resolution did not address the issue of accountability and amnesty," she added, rejecting any suggestion of Saleh escaping prosecution.
"We reject any killing. We just want a fair trial for him. The revolution people will take Saleh in a peaceful manner. Saleh and his children will receive a fair trial," Karman said.
Karman was backed by Human Rights Watch.
"The Security Council should have more clearly distanced itself from the GCC impunity deal. By signaling that there would be no consequence for the killing of Yemenis, the immunity deal has contributed to prolonging the bloodshed," said HRW's UN representative Philippe Bolopion.
Britain's UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the resolution includes some "tough messages" for Saleh and Yemen's opposition.
"We have made very clear in the resolution that all those responsible for violence, for human rights abuses should be held accountable.
"There should be no impunity for human rights abuses or the violence that has been committed. And in that respect, we entirely agree with the Nobel Prize winner," Lyall Grant said.
The Security Council went from the vote to consultations on events in Libya, including the killing of ousted strongman Moamer Kadhafi.
Diplomats said the death of Gaddafi and uprisings in other Arab nations could put pressure on the Yemeni leader. But there was no threat of sanctions in the resolution drawn up by Britain.
"Today the international community sent a united and unambiguous signal to President Saleh that he must respond to the aspirations of the Yemeni people by transferring power immediately," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
"Each day that passes without a political solution plunges Yemen deeper into turmoil," Carney said in a statement.
Saleh's refusal to hand over power since his return from medical treatment in Saudi Arabia and growing fears about the growing influence of Al-Qaeda have heightened international concern about the country.
Saleh says that if he stands down, his arch rivals, General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar and tribal leader Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, must also withdraw from Yemeni politics. The capital is now divided between forces loyal to the three rivals.