There is a ray of hope from Yemen. In a rare confidence-building measure, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen and their Houthi opponents exchanged prisoners after a pause in combat on the tense border. Coming after the truce in Syria, which still holds despite several cracks, the rapprochement in Yemen is a clear sign that it could lead to peace negotiations between the two sides that can finally lead to a compromise and solution to a year-long war that has killed more than 6,000 people and displaced millions.
It may be premature to expect too much from the peace on the border, but the war in Yemen has been dragging on, with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels refusing to honour international agreements and failing to accept the legitimacy of an internationally-recognised government led by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. It was Houthis’ aggression and rebellion which led to the intervention of Gulf countries. The Gulf countries and their allies have always demanded that any solution to the crisis must involve the reinstatement of the Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
A year of intense fighting has proven that the crisis in Yemen cannot be solved militarily. The war has only destroyed the most impoverished Arab country in the world. Houthis will never be able to rule the country with force and with the backing of Iran and they have the opportunity to negotiate a settlement with the government in Sanaa.
Both sides must seize the latest confidence-building measures to reach a broader ceasefire and later a final solution. A delegation from Houthis are in Saudi Arabia for talks. Yemeni tribal leaders are said to be playing a crucial role in these efforts and their mediation has facilitated the exchange of a Saudi lieutenant captured by the Houthis for seven Yemeni prisoners held in the kingdom.
After the initial groundwork, formal talks are likely to be held under the auspices of the United Nations. After meeting his Gulf and Yemeni counterparts, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said he backed UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s efforts to resolve the crisis based on UN resolution 2216, which calls on the Houthis to return power to Hadi’s government.
The Houthis’ participation in talks must have come from a realization that their objective of ruling all of Yemen will never be realised. The Houthis must distance themselves from their backers Iran, and there are signs that this is happening. In a goodwill message to Saudi Arabia, a senior Houthi official told Iranian officials in a Facebook posting to stay out of Yemen’s conflict. The Gulf countries too must make concessions to make peace a reality and bring Hadi back to power.
There is a ray of hope from Yemen. In a rare confidence-building measure, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen and their Houthi opponents exchanged prisoners after a pause in combat on the tense border. Coming after the truce in Syria, which still holds despite several cracks, the rapprochement in Yemen is a clear sign that it could lead to peace negotiations between the two sides that can finally lead to a compromise and solution to a year-long war that has killed more than 6,000 people and displaced millions.
It may be premature to expect too much from the peace on the border, but the war in Yemen has been dragging on, with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels refusing to honour international agreements and failing to accept the legitimacy of an internationally-recognised government led by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. It was Houthis’ aggression and rebellion which led to the intervention of Gulf countries. The Gulf countries and their allies have always demanded that any solution to the crisis must involve the reinstatement of the Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
A year of intense fighting has proven that the crisis in Yemen cannot be solved militarily. The war has only destroyed the most impoverished Arab country in the world. Houthis will never be able to rule the country with force and with the backing of Iran and they have the opportunity to negotiate a settlement with the government in Sanaa.
Both sides must seize the latest confidence-building measures to reach a broader ceasefire and later a final solution. A delegation from Houthis are in Saudi Arabia for talks. Yemeni tribal leaders are said to be playing a crucial role in these efforts and their mediation has facilitated the exchange of a Saudi lieutenant captured by the Houthis for seven Yemeni prisoners held in the kingdom.
After the initial groundwork, formal talks are likely to be held under the auspices of the United Nations. After meeting his Gulf and Yemeni counterparts, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said he backed UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s efforts to resolve the crisis based on UN resolution 2216, which calls on the Houthis to return power to Hadi’s government.
The Houthis’ participation in talks must have come from a realization that their objective of ruling all of Yemen will never be realised. The Houthis must distance themselves from their backers Iran, and there are signs that this is happening. In a goodwill message to Saudi Arabia, a senior Houthi official told Iranian officials in a Facebook posting to stay out of Yemen’s conflict. The Gulf countries too must make concessions to make peace a reality and bring Hadi back to power.
