Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy to the United Nations (UN), Yemen announced that the warring parties in Yemen agreed on a two-month ceasefire due to Ramadan. Grundberg added that the agreed ceasefire period could be extended a little longer if the parties demand it.
The temporary ceasefire declared between government forces and the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen will begin at 19:00 local time on Saturday.
It was stated that the parties also agreed to allow tankers to enter the ports of Hudayde and to allow commercial flights from Sanaa Airport. Only UN flights are allowed at the airport in the capital, Sanaa, which is currently controlled by the Houthis.
Grundenberg said, “The purpose of the ceasefire is to provide a respite for Yemenis to get rid of violence, to reduce humanitarian problems and most importantly to hope that it is possible to end the conflicts,” and stated that he will stay in contact with the parties in order to reach a permanent ceasefire during this two-month ceasefire period.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the decision, calling on the warring parties to use this de-escalation process to initiate a “true political process”.
Yemen peace talks began in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. However, the Houthis did not want to participate in the talks held in the capital, Riyadh, which they saw as an “enemy zone”. For this reason, observers state that the chances of successful conclusion of the talks are low.
Permanent ceasefire proposal
The internationally recognized government of Yemen, the United States of America (USA) and the UN representatives attended the talks held in Riyadh, hosted by the Gulf Cooperation Council, of which six countries from the Arabian Peninsula are members. The military coalition led by Saudi Arabia announced that it would lay down arms during Ramadan on the occasion of peace talks.
Last week, the Houthis proposed a three-day ceasefire and prisoner exchange. The Houthis also proposed a “permanent ceasefire”, and Mehdi al-Maşşat, Chairman of the Iran-backed High Political Council of the Houthis, said, “Saudi Arabia must stop the siege and definitively end its attacks in Yemen.”
There has been a civil war in Yemen since 2015 between President Abdurabbu Mansur Hadi’s troops supported by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab countries, and the Iranian-backed Houthis. According to UN data, it is stated that approximately 380 thousand people have lost their lives in the conflicts and millions of people have been forced to flee.
AFP/AI, JD
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