Algeria proposes to host a dialogue between Yemen’s factions

An Algerian diplomat has told Anadolu agency that his country’s foreign ministry has been working for almost a week on the formulation of a new initiative to be presented to Yemen’s rival factions in order to launch peace talks to put an end to the current crisis.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that the most important item in the new initiative is holding “a direct dialogue between the two main factions of the Yemeni crisis“, namely the legitimate government and the Houthi group and its allies.

According to the same source, “Algeria has offered to host the factions of the Yemeni crisis, including the legitimate government and the Ansar Allah movement [also known as the Houthi movement]… in order to restore peace in this country,” but he did not clarify whether or not the two Yemeni sides have agreed on the proposal.

Regarding the content of the initiative, the source confirmed to Anadolu that as per the Algerian initiative, the dialogue would occur between the parties to the internal crisis in Yemen only, “and it should be based on the principle of respecting the constitutional legitimacy and the participation of the Yemeni arena’s actors in power.”

“Algeria’s presence as a neutral party in the Yemeni crisis serves as reassuring factor for regional powers, who have an impact on the Yemeni arena, namely Saudi Arabia and Iran,” he added.

The new Algerian initiative takes into account the evolution of the military situation on the ground in Yemen. According to the diplomatic source, Algeria is monitoring “the evolution of the military situation in Yemen, and Algerian military experts submit daily reports to the state’s senior officials on the development of the military situation in Yemen.”

The same source stressed that “the reports on changes in the balance of military power on the ground in Yemen are very important for the Algerian peace initiative.”

In its official’s remarks during the recent Arab summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, Algeria called for giving priority to political dialogue in Yemen. This came after Saudi Arabia and its allies launched Operation Decisive Storm against the Houthis.

Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra told reporters in March that: “Algeria has good relations with all her sister countries in the Arab world; and historically, it has had relations of trust and friendship with Iran. Therefore, we are in dialogue with all.”

In response to a question about his country’s contribution to easing the current tension, Lamamra said that: “We always say the same thing to all our friends and brothers who deal with these issues, and we believe that this understanding and convergence between Iran and Arab countries will greatly help in improving the general atmosphere and strengthening our negotiating ability, as Arabs, in the international arena.”