Yemeni govt. demands Saleh, Houthi excluded

Yemen’s government delegates to peace talks in Kuwait have demanded that deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh be excluded from any political settlement, and that militias be disbanded before any agreement is reached.

The UN-backed unity government delegates said Saleh and Houthi Leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi need to be excluded prior to any political agreements.

They also said militias need to be disbanded before any settlement can be reached.

The delegation has also urged militias to release Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Mahmoud al-Subaihi and other political prisoners.

Subaihi was leading a counter-offensive against the Houthis in Lahij governorate in March last year when he was captured by militia forces along with Faisal Rajab, commander of the pro-Hadi 119th Armored Brigade.

They also called for the immediate release of journalists imprisoned in Houthi militia prisons, who have reportedly been on hunger strike while in custody.

Peace talks in Kuwait ended with no resolutions as yet after the government representatives returned to the negotiating table, with close sources reporting that no topics of major disagreements and controversial topics being discussed during the last meeting.

UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement that a joint meeting was held between the two delegations which have gathered in Kuwait and later he met with them separately.

He urged the two parties “to exert all efforts to achieve a sustainable solution for the sake of easing the suffering of Yemenis.”

“Any delay, retreat or boycott will take us backward and slow down the solution Yemenis are waiting for,” Ould Cheikh Ahmed said.