A new round of peace talks between Yemen’s warring sides should begin by the end of May, the UN mediator said Wednesday, as alarm grows over the country’s humanitarian crisis.
UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told AFP that negotiations were underway.
“We are at the preliminary stage, but time is also a real constraint for us, because my aim is to finish all of this before Ramadan,” he said, adding that he hoped “to enter into a new round of talks before Ramadan.”
The Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan is set to begin around May 27 this year.
Even if Ould Cheikh Ahmed manages to get the parties to the table, any success will be hard-won: since Yemen’s conflict escalated two years ago, all UN mediation attempts and seven declared ceasefires have failed.
Weapons smuggling
Hudaydah is currently controlled by the Houthis, and the UN envoy said he was hearing concerns from the coalition that the port was being used to smuggle in weapons.
“We are trying to explore various options by which we can reinforce inspection mechanisms maybe or see how we can minimize the risk of any additional smuggling,” he said.
The UN mediator said the Houthis had voiced interest in his proposals and that he aimed to invite them to a meeting in Oman next month to discuss different options.
Also Read
-
Saudi Arabia donates $150 million at Yemen aid conference
A Yemen aid summit in Geneva on Tuesday received $150 million from Saudi Arabia and $100 million from Kuwait. The UN is seeking $2.1 billion for Yemen ... Gulf -
Yemen’s Hadramout celebrates first anniversary of liberation from al-Qaeda
Skies of the port city of Mukalla in Yemen lit up with fireworks on Monday as locals celebrated the one-year anniversary of liberation from al-Qaeda. ... Gulf -
Russians on Yemen: Only fight al-Qaeda
The Russian vision on affairs in our countries is part of the problem and not part of the solution. When it comes to crises, all the Russians see is ... Middle East -
Drone strike kills three civilians, four militants in Yemen
Three Yemeni civilians were killed when a drone attacked four suspected al-Qaeda militants traveling in a vehicle in the southern part of the country, ... Gulf
