Yemen: a large exchange of prisoners organized by the Red Cross

Yemeni prisoners arriving at Sana'a airport following an exchange on Thursday, October 15, 2020. AP Photo / Hani Mohammed

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It is a vast exchange of prisoners that has just taken place between the enemy camps in Yemen.

More than 1,000 people have been released and returned to their regions of origin in a spectacular air operation organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

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On the one hand, the government recognized by the international community.

On the other hand, the rebellion of the Houthis, which occupies part of the territory of Yemen and in particular Sana'a, the capital of the country.

In recent years, several prisoner exchanges have taken place between these enemies, but nothing comparable with the eleven chartered flights Thursday and Friday by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

An agreement found in Switzerland

An air bridge connecting five cities in Yemen and Saudi Arabia has been set up.

In total, 1,056 ex-detainees were reunited with their families, according to the ICRC.

The international organization specifies in passing that specific health measures have been put in place in planes and airports to avoid contamination with Covid-19.

The terms of this vast operation were

in September.

But the principle of this exchange was acted at the end of 2018 in Sweden, during one of the rare attempts to settle the conflict in Yemen.

There is no indication that the release of these prisoners opens the way for further peace talks.

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