UN welcomes commitment to implement a nation-wide ceasefire
\nADEN
\nThe Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Iran-aligned Houthis have both committed to steps towards a ceasefire, the UN special envoy for Yemen said on Saturday.
\nThe Houthis, which control north Yemen, have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80% of Yemen\u2019s population dependent on humanitarian aid.
\nThe UN special envoy, Hans Grundberg, in a statement issued by his office said he \u201cwelcomes the parties\u2019 commitment to a set of measures to implement a nation-wide ceasefire, improve living conditions in Yemen, and engage in preparations for the resumption of an inclusive political process under UN auspices.\u201d
\nGrundberg \u201cwill now engage with the parties to establish a roadmap under UN auspices that includes these commitments and supports their implementation\u201d, the statement said.
\nThe roadmap, along with a ceasefire, will also include the two sides\u2019 commitment to resume oil exports, pay all public sector salaries, open roads in Taiz and other parts of Yemen, and \u201cfurther ease restrictions on Sanaa Airport and the Hudaydah port,\u201d the statement said.
\nThe Saudi-led military coalition intervened more than eight years ago against the Houthi movement after it ousted Yemen\u2019s internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government from Sanaa, the capital, in 2014.
\nThe Saudi-backed government\u2019s foreign ministry welcomed the special envoy\u2019s statement on \u201cthe efforts made to reach a road map under the auspices of the United Nations to end the war caused by the Houthi militia,\u201d Yemeni state news agency SABA reported.
\nThe Houthi movement did not immediately comment when contacted by Reuters.
\nHouthi officials in September visited Riyadh for the first time since the war broke out. That followed a first round of Omani-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sanaa, running in parallel to UN peace efforts, when Saudi envoys visited Sanaa in April.
\nThe peace initiatives gained momentum after arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish ties in a deal brokered by China. A permanent ceasefire in Yemen would mark a milestone in stabilising the Middle East.
\n\u201cGrundberg expressed his deep appreciation for the key roles played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman in supporting the parties to reach this point.\u201d
\n\u201cHe urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint at this critical time to allow for a conducive environment for dialogue and the successful conclusion of agreement on the roadmap.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UN welcomes commitment to implement a nation-wide ceasefire ADEN The Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Iran-aligned Houthis have both committed to steps towards a ceasefire, the UN special envoy for Yemen said on Saturday. The Houthis, which control north Yemen, have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":376583,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-376558","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n