Yemen govt delegation rejects joint supervision of Hodeidah with UN

The delegation of the Yemeni government participating in the Yemen talks in Sweden questioned the feasibility of a proposal submitted by the UN, which called for the formation of a “joint entity” to the administer the city of Hodeidah after the withdrawal of armed Houthi militias and military forces from the city.

“The proposal will create legal and institutional problems and will not be enforceable, but will create additional difficulties on this authority’s credibility,” said Marwan Dammaj, Yemen’s minister of culture and member of the legitimate government’s delegation.

Dammaj added that the government is committed to the withdrawal of Houthi militias from the city, and proposes to re-position the armed forces in the city’s camps, and for security entities under the ministry of interior to manage the security of the city.

Negotiations are still ongoing in Rimbo, Sweden, on all outstanding issues, including Hodeidah, Taiz, Sanaa Airport, the economic situation and the negotiating framework.

The consultations continue to be surrounded by a belt of international diplomatic pressure as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to join the delegations in Sweden this evening to push parties to achieve concrete results in the last remaining hours on Thursday.

“It is important that the two sides agree on points that both can implement and make no promises that are difficult for them to meet,” a Western diplomat told Al Arabiya English.

“The two sides must abide by the rules of mutual respect and try to avoid rhetoric of escalation and threats,” the diplomat, an ambassador involved in the negotiations in Sweden, said.

Lists of prisoners exchanged

The delegation of the legitimate Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels exchanged the lists of prisoners in the framework of the negotiations hosted by Sweden.

The government delegation submitted 8,200 names, while the Houthis presented 7,000 names.

The agreement stipulates that all prisoners and detainees should be released within 45 days of the exchange of names.