A comprehensive political settlement in Yemen sought by Saudi Arabia .. What are its features?

Al Jazeera Net - Special

What the recent exchanges of messages between Iranian officials, the Houthi group on the one hand, and the Saudis on the other shows a decline in hostility between the two sides and a clear desire to end the war in Yemen that erupted in early 2015.

In Sanaa, Abdul Wahid Masood, a doctor at a private hospital in the capital, estimates that the war that caused the worst humanitarian crisis is nearing an end and must stop.

"The continuation of the war increases the suffering of civilians who are helpless in front of it," he told Al Jazeera Net from his place of residence in the Houthi-dominated Sana'a neighborhood, which was a major target of the Saudi-UAE coalition bombing.

But recent developments have brought high hopes for Masood and millions of Yemenis who wish the war to stop at the earliest opportunity.

Comprehensive settlement
During the past two weeks, the UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, was on a regional tour during which he met with Saudi and Houthi officials, including the group's leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, where he discussed preparations for a comprehensive political settlement.

According to a source in Griffith's office, the recent attack on Saudi Aramco in mid-September was evidence to the international community and the region that a political solution was needed in Yemen and an end to further escalation.

He pointed out in a reply to Al Jazeera Net that the details of the comprehensive political settlement prepared by the UN envoy related to the formation of a government based on the comprehensive partnership of all parties and political parties.

"The settlement stipulates that the government has the right to own arms in exchange for the withdrawal of militias and the gradual withdrawal of their weapons through a process supervised by the United Nations, and to stop attacks on neighboring countries and the threat of international navigation."

According to the envoy's office, Griffiths are actively discussing with the parties to reach an agreement.

Transition
The possible political settlement is linked to a transitional phase before presidential and parliamentary elections, says a member of the government team involved in UN-sponsored political consultations and assistant secretary of the Nasserist organization Rana Ghanem.

According to Ghanem's interview with Al Jazeera Net, the pre-interim settlement includes security and military arrangements on the ground, followed by the formation of a partnership government and an agreement to approve the territories and the constitution, details welcomed by all parties, making Griffith optimistic.

She pointed out that "reaching an agreement is closer than ever before for several reasons, including that there have been significant changes in the region since the Swedish agreement (signed between the Yemeni parties in mid-December 2018) related to the military and political situation, and the region has become exhausted from war To whom".

"The Saudi-led coalition is completely exhausted in this war," Ghanem said. "In return, the Houthis are unable to continue the war."

She said that the first step in the comprehensive political settlement begins with the signing of a comprehensive cease-fire in all the provinces of Yemen in the north and south, and the withdrawal of militia weapons, and the delivery of camps to the state to ensure the cessation of the war once and for all.

According to Ghanem, the comprehensive settlement awaits the outcome of the ongoing Jeddah dialogue between the government and the UAE-backed transitional council, adding to the island Net that "the Jeddah dialogue may reach an agreement soon to return the government to Aden, in return for the inclusion of the transitional government."

On the one hand, a source in the Yemeni government says that Saudi Arabia wants to end the war, so pushed the government and the transition to negotiate, in return for being temporarily in control in Aden, in preparation for the transition to a comprehensive settlement with the Houthis.

Reciprocal messages
Despite the reassurances and positive indications provided by the UN envoy, a senior Houthi source believes that what Griffiths is offering is still under consultation and negotiation until a lasting peace process is reached.

"The results to this day are far from being final," the island's senior source said.

However, the source confirms that there is an unannounced ceasefire with Riyadh, especially with the recent assurances sent by officials of the two countries, in addition to statements by Iranian officials on the same side.

Earlier, Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Salman said his country "views positively" the truce announced by the Houthis, while Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed hope that this will lead to political dialogue and end the war.

Before that, the Houthis offered to halt attacks on Saudi Arabia and demanded a similar response from Riyadh.

Among these statements, it appears that there is a direct Saudi Houthi contact, according to the source in the Houthis, who spoke to Al Jazeera Net, but did not give further details.

On the ground, the Houthi bombardment of Saudi Arabia is almost stopped, and in turn the air operations of the Saudi-Emirati coalition have ceased. This October.