A Saudi Arabian delegation has concluded a round of peace talks in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, with the Houthi movement, whose officials cited progress and said further discussions were needed to iron out remaining differences.
In a significant confidence-building measure, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) yesterday said that the release and swap of nearly 900 detainees by the two sides in the conflict had started.
Saudi Arabia, which leads a coalition that has been battling the Iranian-aligned group since 2015, is seeking a permanent ceasefire agreement to end its military involvement in a war that has killed tens of thousands of people and left millions hungry.
Photo: Reuters
Two Yemeni sources said the Saudi team departed Sana’a on Thursday following a visit that signaled movement to build on an expired UN-brokered truce and followed last month’s deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore ties.
Houthi politburo official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti described the negotiations as “going well.”
Another Houthi official, Abdulmalik Alejri, said on Twitter that “with determination and honest intentions remaining difficulties can be resolved.”
Sources have told Reuters that the Saudi-Houthi talks facilitated by Oman were focused on a ceasefire, full reopening of Houthi-controlled ports and Sana’a airport, payment of public sector wages, rebuilding efforts and the withdrawal of foreign forces from Yemen.
Two Yemeni sources, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the parties could agree on an extended truce deal as they work out remaining differences.
The main sticking points include payment of civil servant salaries — which the Houthis have insisted include armed forces — using oil revenue and a timeline for foreign forces to exit the country, three sources familiar with the negotiations said.
The conflict, in which the coalition intervened against the Houthis after they ousted the Saudi-backed government from Sana’a in late 2014, is a multifaceted one with several Yemeni factions vying for influence.
The Houthis are de facto authorities in northern Yemen. The internationally recognized government is represented by a presidential council formed under Saudi auspices last year, which took over power from Yemen’s president-in-exile.
Meanwhile, a major exchange of prisoners got under way yesterday, with the first airplane departing rebel-held Sana’a for government-controlled Aden, the ICRC said.
“The first flight from Sana’a has left,” ICRC media adviser Jessica Moussan said, signaling the start of a three-day operation that would see nearly 900 prisoners released.
More than 300 prisoners were to fly between the two cities yesterday. Later, detainees would also be released in Marib and Mokha in Yemen, and in Riyadh and Abha in Saudi Arabia.
Additional reporting by AFP
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