In H.G. Wells’s Victorian era Science Fiction classic, a war between invading Martians and overwhelmed humans is brought to a halt “when all man’s devices failed” by the humblest of living things: Microbes!
In a strange case of life imitating art, a war that killed thousands has been halted by fear of a virus that has brought pretty much the whole planet to a standstill. Which calls to mind another Sci-Fi classic: The Day The Earth Stood Still (the Michael Rennie original, not the Keanau Reeves revamp!).
However, while Wells’s microbial assault (and the Martians lack of resistance due to OCD cleansing on their own world) results in permanent conclusion of hostilities, we’ve had ceasefires in Yemen before that failed to last, or even to launch. Will it be any different this time?
Here’s the story as reported by Al Jazeera:
Saudi-UAE coalition declares 2-week unilateral ceasefire in Yemen
Coalition fighting Houthis says move partly in response to UN calls for a halt in hostilities amid coronavirus pandemic.
The Saudi-UAE coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels has declared a unilateral ceasefire.
The suspension of the coalition’s military operations is expected to go into effect at 12pm local time (09:00 GMT) on Thursday and last for two weeks, Saudi Arabia‘s state-run news agency SPA quoted coalition spokesperson Colonel Turki al-Malki as saying.
The announcement came days after the United Nations called for a halt in hostilities amid the coronavirus pandemic.
SPA said on Wednesday that the ceasefire is intended to help prevent a coronavirus outbreak in Yemen, while also allowing for a de-escalation in the fighting. It was also aimed at giving the Houthis an opportunity to join UN-sponsored talks on a settlement to the conflict.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a Houthi spokesman, told Al Jazeera that the Saudi-UAE coalition are still using their force and imposing siege.
“We will continue to fight and target their military installations and industrial sites, as without the lifitng of siege, so we don’t consider it to be a ceasefire,” he said.
“There has to be total end of siege or else the war will continue. “…READ MORE
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