The Gulf states are taking part today in a Saudi-led summit on the war in Yemen, without the participation of Shiite Houthi rebels, as the UN seeks a truce in the war-torn country during the holy month of Ramadan.
The Houthis said they would not take part in the talks because they are being held in Saudi Arabia, their rival in the conflict in Yemen, but in a statement described the UN initiative for a ceasefire as “positive”. Ramadan begins on the weekend.
The UN proposal, drafted by Yemeni special envoy Hans Grundberg, is backed by the United States and other Western powers, two sources said.
Grundberg’s spokeswoman Ismene Palla declined to comment on the details of the proposal, saying the ceasefire was aimed at giving Yemen a break from the violence.
“The envoy continues discussions with all parties and urges everyone to engage constructively in order to achieve an immediate ceasefire,” she added in a statement.
The talks are being held under the auspices of the Gulf Cooperation Council and are expected to last more than a week.
The UN proposal calls for a month-long ceasefire in Yemen so they can anchor in the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah, ships carrying fuel and some commercial flights from Sanaa airport, sources said. .
On March 27, four ships carrying fuel, including a tanker that had been there for almost three months, waited off the port of Hodeidah, according to the UN.
The easing of the blockade of this port would improve the great humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Exchange of prisoners
The United Nations and the United States have been trying since last year to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Yemen, where the war has entered its eighth year, with no results so far.
The Houthis are urging the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen to support government forces in lifting the blockade of the ports and airport in Sanaa under their control. But the coalition, which controls Yemen’s airspace and sea, is calling for a simultaneous agreement.
Shiite rebels unilaterally announced on Saturday that they were suspending attacks against Saudi Arabia and their ground operations in Yemen for three days.
In recent months, the Houthis have stepped up rocket and drone strikes against Saudi oil facilities, and their attack on Friday sparked a fire in fuel tanks. The coalition responded on Sunday by launching airstrikes against Hodeidah and Sanaa, killing eight people, including five women and two children.
The two sides are also discussing the possibility of an exchange of detainees, which means hundreds of detainees will be released, including 16 Saudis and a brother of the Yemeni president.
Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
Source: Capital
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