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Division amongst Yemeni parties regarding conditions of ending the crisis

April 24, 2015 at 3:00 pm

The idea of holding talks to end the crisis in Yemen is welcomed by all parties, but with the continued Saudi attacks and airstrikes, no agreement has been reached regarding how these talks can be held.

The chances of reaching a ceasefire agreement in Yemen are fluctuating, as the military campaign led by Saudi Arabia, which began four weeks ago, has caused hundreds of civilian casualties and intensified the current humanitarian crisis by imposing a naval blockade.

President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is in exile in Riyadh, and his government said that they will not hold talks until the Houthis withdraw from the cities they occupied, especially the port of Aden, and lay down their weapons.

On their part, the Houthis say that they will not hold talks until the airstrikes completely stop.

Yemeni Foreign Minister Riad Yassin said that these talks still have not been held, adding that there is no contact between the government and the Houthis.

During a visit to Bahrain, the foreign minister said that there will be no contact between the two sides until they lay down their weapons. He also said that the talks will not begin until the Houthis withdraw from all the cities and the situation becomes more stable.

As for the role that the Houthis and supporters of Ali Abdullah Saleh could play in the next phase of dialogue, the foreign minister said that “in the eyes of the Yemenis, the role of the Houthis and Ali Abdullah Saleh has ended”.

Yassin accused Iran, which supports the Houthis, of “making desperate attempts to penetrate the naval blockade imposed on Yemen”. He also described what is occurring in Yemen as “an assault on all Yemenis that is an implementation of an Iranian plan, executed by the Houthi militias.”

Saudi Arabia supports Hadi’s position, and despite the fact that Riyadh announced the end of Operation Decisive Storm on Tuesday, it is still using airstrikes to target the military activity of the Houthis and their allies in the Yemeni cities.

Officials in the Yemeni government have circulated a proposal suggested by Oman this week which stipulates that Hadi and his government remains in office.

On the other hand, according to the proposal, all parties should prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections soon, while the economic and humanitarian crisis in Yemen should be addressed through international aid and investments.

The Houthi fighters seem to believe that there could be better conditions than these and therefore have not publically changed their views on Hadi no longer being legitimate. Thus, the Houthis are still fighting in Aden as well as other Yemeni cities.

Despite this, the Houthis described the UN’s efforts to help facilitate the peace talks as positive and reports indicating the release of Defence Minister Mahmoud Al-Subaihi suggest an approach more inclined to reconciliation.

Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi political analyst, said that Saudi Arabia has left the door open for diplomacy, but still insists on using airstrikes.

He added that Houthis have not stopped fighting either, but there is no way that the Saudis will allow the Houthis to rule even an inch of Yemen.

What confirms that this is a vital issue, both on the ground or in moving towards peace talks, is the position of the General People’s Congress Party, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s party, who allied with the Houthis.

Army forces loyal to Saleh are fighting alongside the Houthis, who are less equipped.

The Saudis believe that if these forces can be convinced to stop fighting, this would force the Houthis to retreat.

Saleh has repeatedly refused to leave Yemen, which is what Hadi and the Saudis want, but several army brigades that supported him in the past have recently left him to join the other side.

A senior Western diplomat said that while the Saudi airstrikes had little effect on the Houthis, who are mostly lightly armed gangs, it caused serious damage to Saleh’s allies’ armies.

At the same time, Arab media outlets have reported yesterday that leaders of the General People’s Congress party held talks with the Gulf Arab states as well as the United States and Britain to discuss the peace negotiations.