According to Reuters, on April 9, local time, Mahdi al-Mashat, chairman of the Houthi "Supreme Political Council", held talks with Saudi and Oman delegations in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, and sources said that the focus will be on the reopening of ports and airports controlled by the Houthis, Yemeni reconstruction and the withdrawal schedule of foreign troops.
Reuters: The Saudi-Amman envoy holds peace talks with Houthi armed leaders in Sana'a
The Saudi delegation and the Oman delegation, as mediators, arrived in Sana'a on the evening of the 8th to discuss the renewal of the ceasefire agreement. SABA, the official news agency controlled by the Houthi armed forces, said that Musaud reiterated the Houthi's position on seeking "decent peace" during the talks on the 9th, while stressing that the Yemeni people yearn for "freedom and independence." According to the report, both the Houthis and Saudi Arabia thanked Oman for its efforts to promote peace talks on Yemen, but did not mention more specific negotiations.
However, sources told Reuters that the talks will focus on the reopening of ports and airports under Houthis, the payment of salaries for government personnel in Houthis-controlled areas, reconstruction work in Yemen and a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops.
Mahdi al-Mashat, chairman of the Houthi "Supreme Political Council", meets with Saudi and Oman delegations (Photo by Reuters)
Houthi leader Mohammed al-Bukaiti said on social media Twitter that they would discuss with Saudi and Omani officials "how to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region." He believes that a decent peace between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia would be "a victory for both sides" and that all parties should take measures to "maintain a peaceful atmosphere and prepare for a new chapter." He previously said that "reconciliation between Sana'a and Riyadh is the right choice to strengthen regional stability and security and achieve national unity."
In September 2014, the Houthis seized the capital, Sana'a, and later occupied southern Yemen. In March 2015, Saudi Arabia led the establishment of a multinational coalition to launch military operations against the Houthis. In December 2018, the Yemeni government and the Houthi reached an agreement brokered by the United Nations to agree to a ceasefire in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, but soon the two sides accused each other of breaking the ceasefire.
Reuters commented that after Saudi Arabia and its main rival Iran re-established relations with China's mediation, the negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis showed that peace initiatives were becoming a trend.
Geng Shuang, Deputy Representative of my Permanent Mission to the United Nations, pointed out on 15 March that dialogue and negotiation are the only realistic way to resolve the Yemen issue. China hopes that the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran will create favorable conditions for the improvement of the situation in Yemen.
Commenting on the talks, U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, described it as "the closest the parties have come to real progress towards lasting peace since the conflict in Yemen began."
"This is an opportunity to seize and build [peace], and a real opportunity to launch an inclusive political process under the auspices of the United Nations to end the conflict." Grundberg said.
However, the Saudis did not immediately comment.
A Houthi official said on the 8th that before the two sides reached a broader prisoner exchange agreement, the Houthis had received 13 prisoners released by Saudi Arabia in exchange for a Saudi prisoner released earlier by the Houthis. Last month, during talks in Switzerland involving the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Yemeni government and the Houthis agreed to release 887 prisoners. Houthi official Abdul Qader al-Mortada said the 13 prisoners were part of the agreement.
Al Jazeera reported on the 9th that the United Nations has been working for a long time to unite all parties to the conflict in Yemen and negotiate a political solution. But given the complexity of Yemen's political situation, the peace talks could be protracted.
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