The first day of Yemeni-Yemeni consultations organized by the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council concluded today, Wednesday, in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in the presence of the UN and US envoys to Yemen.
The consultations, in which the Houthi group is absent, aim to stop the war, establish a phase of peace, and address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
The first day focused on the importance of unifying the divergent positions within the framework of the legitimate government, in addition to activating the Yemeni-Gulf partnership.
The consultations coincide with the coalition's announcement of halting military operations in Yemen to ensure the success of the consultations.
In a speech at the start of these consultations, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Nayef Al-Hajraf, said that a peaceful solution is the only way to the crisis in Yemen, and that the Yemeni consultations, with their six axes, represent a platform for diagnosing reality to move the country from war to peace.
For his part, the US special envoy to Yemen, Timothy Linderking, called on Yemeni officials to consult and find solutions to improve the lives of Yemenis.
Lenderking, in a speech before the consultations session in Riyadh, welcomed the coalition's announcement of a ceasefire during the month of Ramadan, and considered it a step in the right direction.
In turn, the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, praised the efforts of the Gulf Cooperation Council to reach a comprehensive solution to the Yemeni crisis, expressing his optimism about the consultations that were launched in Riyadh.
Grundberg considered that the coalition's announcement of halting military operations in Yemen is a step in the right direction, calling on the international community to make maximum efforts to achieve the vision of the United Nations in Yemen.
The Houthi group refused to participate in the Riyadh consultations, calling for them to be held in a neutral country, in reference to its refusal to come to Saudi Arabia.
Al-Bakhiti said that the coalition's announcement to stop its military operations will have no meaning unless the "siege" on Yemen is lifted (Al-Jazeera)
Houthi position
On the other hand, the Houthi political council said today that there is no peace without lifting what he described as the siege imposed on the Yemeni people and respect for the sovereignty and independence of Yemen.
The Council expressed its deep regret for what it described as the coalition's lack of clear and explicit response to the group's initiative to end the conflict in Yemen.
Muhammad al-Bakhiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, said that the blockade imposed on Yemen is a military action because it is imposed by force of arms, as he put it.
Al-Bakhiti added - in a tweet to him on Twitter - that if the siege is not lifted, the coalition's announcement of stopping its military operations will not make sense, because the suffering of Yemenis as a result of the siege is more severe than the war itself, he said.
The Houthi leader said that this means the continuation of the Houthi military operations aimed at breaking the siege, as he described it.
And Saudi TV had said that the coalition's decision to stop military operations in Yemen, which continues throughout the month of Ramadan, has entered into force this morning.
The United Nations and the United States have been trying since last year to reach a permanent truce in Yemen, but differences over the steps are thwarting efforts to end the seven-year war, which has killed tens of thousands and devastated Yemen.
The Houthis want the coalition to lift the restrictions it imposes on the seaports and Sanaa airport first, while the coalition wants simultaneous steps from both sides.