The parties involved in the war in Yemen have agreed on an exchange of 1,081 prisoners, after a week of discussions in Switzerland, under the aegis of the United Nations, said Sunday (September 27) the special envoy of the UN for Yemen, Martin Griffiths.

Martin Griffiths greeted journalists and Yemeni delegations in front of this exchange which is "the most important" in the history of the conflict which began in 2014. He also indicated that the delegations had agreed to meet "to negotiate new releases ", during the announcement in a chalet of a large hotel in Glion, on the heights of Lake Geneva.

Following the announcement, heads of delegation from both sides - who did not make a statement - shook hands and hugged, watched by Martin Griffiths and the regional director of the International Committee of the Cross. -Rouge (ICRC) for the Near and Middle East, Fabrizio Carboni.

The parties involved in the war in Yemen have agreed on an exchange of 1,081 prisoners after a week of talks in Switzerland, under the aegis of the United Nations, confirmed today the UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths #AFP pic.twitter.com/4fx42PrUVN

- Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) September 27, 2020

As part of a UN-sponsored peace deal reached in Sweden in 2018, the Yemeni government, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, and Iran-backed Houthi rebels agreed to an exchange of about 15,000 detainees in total.

Since then, the two parties have already sporadically exchanged prisoners.

But the release of hundreds of loyalists and insurgents would represent the first large-scale exchange since the war began in 2014.

The deal, due to be implemented in two weeks, covers the release of "681 rebels and 400 members of government [and allied] forces, including 16 Saudis and 4 Sudanese," a member told AFP. of the government delegation who requested anonymity.

Move quickly towards the application of the agreement

According to this member of the government delegation, the release by the rebels of the brother of the Yemeni president, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, General Nasser Mansour Hadi, has been postponed.

"We all know that it is now essential to move quickly and decisively towards the implementation [of the agreement signed in Switzerland]", underlined the UN envoy.

The ICRC will supervise the return of prisoners to their families.

"This release will relieve the suffering of many detainees and many families who have waited so long to be reunited," Fabrizio Carboni stressed during the announcement.

"As a neutral intermediary […], we are ready to help with the release once the implementation plan has been approved," he added.

The ICRC official called the agreement a "very positive step", but called on the parties to quickly agree on the stages, on logistical questions and on security guarantees for its implementation, so that "this operation […] becomes reality ".

Fabrizio Carboni also indicated that the ICRC was "convinced that this release […] will contribute [it] to renewing solid and valid peace talks".

The conflict in Yemen has claimed tens of thousands of lives, mostly civilians, and resulted in what the UN has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

>> See also on France 24: Covid-19 pandemic: the impossible toll in countries at war

With AFP

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