A rare Saudi delegation is in Sanaa, Yemen, to negotiate a lasting truce and discuss the peace process with Yemen's Houthi rebels after eight years of war and amid regional détente, Yemeni diplomatic sources said Sunday.
Saudi officials, whose identities have not been revealed, came "to discuss ways to move towards peace," added the two diplomats working in the Gulf and who requested anonymity.
Houthi rebel officials and media had announced the visit earlier in the day. Contacted by AFP, the Saudi authorities did not confirm it.
Saudi officials have visited Sana'a in the past, but such visits are rare and often limited.
On Saturday, Omani mediators also arrived in Sanaa to discuss a truce with Saudi Arabia with the Houthi rebels.
Reconciliation of Iran and Saudi Arabia
Like swathes of Yemen's territory, Sanaa has been under the control of the Houthis, who are close to Iran, for more than eight years. The Saudi-led military coalition, which has been neighboring since 2015 in support of pro-government forces, has failed to dislodge the insurgents.
But while Saudi Arabia has been trying for several months to get out of this quagmire, the recent rapprochement with its great Shiite rival, Iran, has fueled hopes of appeasement in the Middle East, particularly in Yemen.
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A first truce was reached a year ago in Yemen and has since been largely respected, but was not officially renewed when it expired last October.
The conditions of the truce
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 government's payment of salaries for all civil servants, including those working in Houthi-held areas.
In March, the Yemeni government and rebels reached an agreement in Bern on an exchange of more than 880 prisoners. On Saturday, the rebels also welcomed the release of 13 prisoners by Saudi authorities in exchange for a Saudi detainee, with Riyadh not commenting on the announcement.
The poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula is suffering one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The war has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced, with colossal challenges such as epidemics, acute hunger and economic collapse, against a backdrop of declining international aid.
A UN Security Council meeting on Yemen is scheduled for April 17.
With AFP
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