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Saudi Arabia announced Wednesday it is in " contact " with Houthi rebels. Sign that Riyadh needs to find a way out of the war in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia broke a taboo Wednesday by recognizing " contacts " with Yemeni Houthi rebels it has been fighting since 2015.
The intervention of the Saudi-led coalition has left thousands dead and provoked a humanitarian disaster, without defeating the Shiite rebellion of the Houthis. That's why the Saudi kingdom is looking for a non-military outcome, says Helen Lackner, a specialist in Yemen at the European Council for International Relations (ECFR). " It is very clear that it is in Saudi Arabia's interest to find a solution and to end this war, which, according to the Saudis, was supposed to last a few weeks, " she recalls. So it's really time to find a solution. "
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" Let's say that the Saudis do not win this war, it's perfectly clear," says the specialist. They must still realize it now, if they have not already done so. The problem, the last time there were discussions, is that they were really about to have an agreement, but both sides do not want to lose face. And the Houthis actually want to humiliate the Saudis, and of course, the Saudis want to at least pretend they have not lost. "
On Tuesday, the Yemeni government and the Houthi separatists signed a power-sharing agreement . The members of the UN Security Council on Wednesday hailed in a statement unanimously approved " the mediation efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ", saying that " this agreement represents a positive and important step towards a solution comprehensive and inclusive policy for Yemen ". An agreement " made possible " by Riyad hailed France.