RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen said on Monday he had traveled to the country’s rebel-held capital to push for a ceasefire and talks that could end the country’s eight-year war.
“I visit Sana’a with a delegation from the brotherly kingdom of Oman to consolidate the cease-fire and cease-fire,” Mohammed al-Jaber said on Twitter, the first official comment from Saudi officials about the trip.
He added that he wants to “support the prisoner exchange process and explore areas of dialogue between the Yemeni components to reach a sustainable, comprehensive political solution.”
The Saudi delegation’s visit to Sana’a is part of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict pitting Iran-backed Houthi rebels against the Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognized government.
A ceasefire announced nearly a year ago has significantly reduced active hostilities within Yemen, and is still largely respected even though it officially ended in October.
A Yemeni government source, speaking to JEE News on condition of anonymity, told JEE News over the weekend that the Saudis and the Houthis had agreed in principle to pave the way for talks to establish a two-year “transition”. A new ceasefire of six months has been agreed.
On Sunday, Houthi media showed al-Jaber shaking hands with the rebels’ political leader, Mehdi al-Mashat.
Saudi officials did not provide details or respond to requests for comment about the meetings in Sanaa, which was seized by the Houthis in 2014, prompting Saudi leadership to intervene the following year.
A surprise rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, brokered by China and announced a month ago, has fueled hopes of an end to a conflict that has claimed millions of lives and has been called a world emergency by the United Nations. It has been called the worst humanitarian crisis.
The new ceasefire agreement is expected to meet key Houthi goals, including the payment of salaries to civil servants in Houthi-controlled areas and the lifting of operational restrictions on Houthi-controlled airports and ports.
