Yemeni government has praised the Saudi initiative to restore peace and stability in the country and expressed support for any peace initiative that would alleviate the Yemeni people’s suffering….reports Asian Lite News
The Yemeni government has welcomed Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing war with Houthi militia.
Muammar Al-Eryani, Yemen’s Minister of Information, praised the Saudi initiative to restore peace and stability in the country and expressed support for any peace initiative that would alleviate the Yemeni people’s suffering.
“We express our appreciation for the exceptional efforts made by the brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to bring peace to Yemen, as well as our full support for their efforts to achieve peace in the region and move it from a stage of conflicts and internal strife to one of stability and security,” Arab News quoted Yemeni minister as saying.
Al-Eryani also acknowledged the Arab coalition military intervention in 2015, which helped expel Houthi forces from around 80 percent of Yemeni territory, and praised Saudi Arabia’s political, economic, and humanitarian assistance.
Recently, the Saudi ambassador to Yemen met with Houthi leader Mahdi Al-Mashat in Sanaa to discuss a peace agreement that would include a six-month extension to the UN-brokered truce, a two-year transitional period, and direct UN-sponsored negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthis.
After approval by the Yemeni government, delegates from Oman and Saudi Arabia who arrived in Sanaa over the weekend brought the proposal before top Houthi officials, the Arab News reported.
Oman and the UN have mediated previous rounds of negotiations between the Yemeni government, Saudi Arabia, and the Houthi group.
Oman’s role has been crucial in facilitating talks and maintaining good relations with both parties.
The UN has been working to broker a political solution to the conflict, but previous attempts have failed due to a lack of trust between the warring parties and continued violence on the ground.
Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognised government.
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government in 2015.
Meanwhile, Iran has expressed its support for extending the truce and ending the war and hopes for reconciliation with Saudi Arabia to pave the way for peace in Yemen.
“The Iranian spokesman expressed hope that the new conditions in the region would result in the formation of a sustainable ceasefire in Yemen for the benefit of the Yemeni people,” Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted the Iranian official as saying during a press briefing in Tehran.
UN hails progress
A UN spokesperson said that talks between Saudi and Omani delegations and the Houthi militia in Yemen’s capital Sanaa were “a welcome step towards the de-escalation of tensions” in the war-torn nation.
At a briefing in New York, Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, fielded queries from reporters regarding reports of advancements made towards a lasting ceasefire, which would bring an end to Saudi Arabia’s military involvement in a military coalition that has backed the internationally recognised government in its civil conflict with the Houthis, since 2015, reports Xinhua news agency.
Neighbouring Oman has been involved in peace talks with the warring parties in Yemen, running in parallel with UN efforts, led by Special Envoy Hans Grundberg, who Dujarric said was continuing to “explore options to extend and expand” a UN-brokered six-month truce, which expired last October.
According to Grundberg’s statement last week, the truce is “largely holding” even after expiration, while many elements remain in place.
The envoy said that greater humanitarian relief, a nationwide ceasefire and a sustainable political settlement “that meets the aspirations of Yemeni women and men” was essential, through a process that brings all stakeholders together.
Dujarric said that the discussions in Sanaa were “very much welcomed by the Secretary-General” and added that Grundberg continues to be “in close coordination with the regional member states” over resuming the political process, with the hope of avoiding any escalation in the long-running war.
The spokesperson noted that the UN had not been involved in the talks in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital.
“We are not involved in every discussion, we don’t need to be,” he said.
“What is important is that all of these parties work towards the relevant Security Council resolution, the UN facilitated talks, and all signals are, that they are. But we will have to take things one day at a time.”