The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has condemned the occupation of the UAE embassy in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, by the Houthi militia on Sunday.
In a statement, it called for the evacuation of the embassy immediately and to restore it to the embassy staff, state news agency Wam reported. It said the UAE had the right to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice and accountability.
“This act is further evidence that the group which committed this attack does not show any regard or respect for international conventions and diplomatic norms, as it practises jungle law,” the statement said.
The ministry said the incident would not deter the UAE from supporting the restoration of stability to Yemen.
The embassy takeover comes as Yemeni loyalists backed by the UAE and Saudi Arabia continue advances against rebels in several southern provinces as well as in third city Taez, seen as a gateway to the rebel-held capital.
Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the occupation of the UAE embassy. The Foreign Affairs Ministry said it was a violation of international law and diplomatic norms, and a desperate attempt to foil attempts to re-establish stability in Yemen.
Bahrain News Agency reported that the ministry said the inviolability of headquarters of diplomatic missions and the safety of their staff as guaranteed by the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations needed to be respected.
The ministry expressed its appreciation of the UAE’s efforts in restoring stability in Yemen and its support for rooting out terrorism.
Qatar also condemned the embassy occupation, with the Qatar News Agency reporting that the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the takeover was an infringement of international law.
The Secretary General of the GCC, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, strongly condemned the occupation of the UAE embassy. He said the Houthis had violated international law and called for the immediate evacuation of the embassy and the return of its employees.
The President of the Arab Parliament, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Jarwan, said the occupation of the embassy was a criminal act that violated international law on the protection and immunity of diplomatic missions.
* Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse