Saudi delegation in Yemen to negotiate lasting truce

A photo published by the Houthi-affiliated branch of Yemen's SABA news agency on April 9, 2023, shows the political leader of the Houthi group Mahdi al-Mashat (left) welcoming Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al Jaber and a delegation in Sanaa. AFP--

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A rare Saudi delegation visited Sanaa, Yemen, on Sunday, April 9, to negotiate a lasting truce and discuss the peace process with the Houthi rebels.

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In Yemen, the prospects for peace are multiplying eight years after the start of the war, reports our correspondent in the region, Nicolas Keraudren. Although these reports have not been officially confirmed by Riyadh, a Saudi delegation was this weekend in Sanaa, an area controlled by the Houthis.

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed al-Jaber, was received by rebel political leader Mehdi Machat, according to Houthi media, Saba news agency and Al-Massira TV channel. They released footage showing the two men shaking hands.

The Saudi negotiators came "to discuss ways to move towards peace," according to two Yemeni diplomats working in the Gulf who requested anonymity. Contacted by AFP, the Saudi authorities did not wish to comment on this information.

Negotiations

The rebels also welcomed the release of 13 prisoners in exchange for a Saudi detainee. In the future, the two sides could agree on a new truce that has not yet been renewed since last year. But for this, demands have long been imposed by the rebels, Yemeni government sources told AFP. They are demanding the lifting of the air and sea blockade, preventing rebel-controlled airports and ports from operating without Riyadh's approval, and for the government to pay the salaries of all civil servants.

For more than eight years, Sanaa, like much of the territory, has been under Houthi control. The Saudi-led military coalition that has been neighboring since 2015 in support of pro-government forces has failed to dislodge the insurgents.

Iranian influence

These discussions are part of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Tehran recorded nearly a month ago in China. Iran could indeed use its influence on the Houthis to put an end to this war from which Saudi Arabia seeks to extricate itself.

In parallel, a Saudi technical team was, in any case, in Tehran. The reopening of a diplomatic representation of the kingdom in Iran, closed since 2016, was on the agenda.

(

With AFP)

► Also listen: Yemen: the forgotten war

Like swathes of Yemen's territory, Sanaa has been under the control of the Houthis, a movement close to Iran, for more than eight years. The Saudi-led military coalition that has been neighboring since 2015 in support of pro-government forces has failed to dislodge the insurgents.

Saudi officials have visited Sanaa in the past, but visits are rare and often limited. But while Sunni Saudi Arabia has been trying for several months to extricate itself from this quagmire, the recent rapprochement with its great regional rival, Shiite Iran, has fueled hopes for appeasement in the Middle East, particularly in Yemen.

The poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula is suffering one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The eight-year war has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced, with colossal challenges such as epidemics, acute hunger and economic collapse, amid declining international aid.

- 'Priority' -

"Making progress in Yemen has always been a priority for the Saudis but, without the Iranians, things would not go as fast as we see today," Saudi analyst Hesham Alghannam told AFP.

"In the past, discussions with (the Houthis) have not been very fruitful, to say the least," the Riyadh-based academic said.

Omani mediators arrived on Saturday and are also in Sanaa to allow the signing of an agreement on a lasting truce.

A truce was reached a year ago in Yemen and has since been largely respected, but was not officially renewed when it expired last October.

A new truce under discussion includes long-imposed demands by the rebels, Yemeni government sources told AFP.

The first is the lifting of the air and sea blockade that the Saudi army maintains on the country, preventing airports and ports under rebel control from operating without Riyadh's approval.

Another demand is the payment by the government, which holds most of the energy wealth, of the salaries of all civil servants, including those working in Houthi-held areas.

- 'Tired' -

Despite fears that a deal between Saudis and rebels does not necessarily mean an end to Yemen's civil war, many on the streets of Sanaa want to hold out hope for peace soon.

"We want the war to end. We are tired," Ali Hussein, a 23-year-old resident of the capital, told AFP.

Mahammed Dahmash, another 35-year-old resident, also expressed hope for "an agreement rather than a truce that would completely end the war".

The same glimmer of hope is true in Hodeidah, a major port region in the west. Like many civil servants in Houthi-controlled areas, Mansour has not received a salary for seven years.

"The war is not only about rockets and missiles, but also our economic situation that has deteriorated," the 46-year-old teacher, who declined to give his last name, told AFP.

Imane Mohammed, another Hodeidah resident interviewed by AFP, hopes that by the time Eid is the current Muslim fasting month, "the situation calms down and returns to normal".

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• Yemen
• Saudi Arabia
• Diplomacy