Oman sends delegation to Yemen to revive peace talks

Civil servants' wages a major sticking point between government and Iran-backed Houthis

A delegation of Omani diplomats arrived in Sanaa to meet with Houthi leadership in the second attempt in a month to revive stalled talks. SABA

Oman has sent a delegation to Yemen for the second time in a month, in an effort to mediate a revival in peace talks that stalled in October.

The delegation arrived in the Yemen capital Sanaa accompanied by the head Houthi negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam, to discuss the latest developments.

It comes after Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi met with UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg in Muscat on Wednesday.

“The visit of the Omani delegation comes as a continuation of the recent meetings, after we conveyed many messages,” Mr Abdulsalam said.

“The intensive visits between Sanaa and Muscat reflect our seriousness in reaching tangible steps, and the issue is related to the extent of the seriousness of the other party.”

Earlier in January, the Iran-backed Houthis repeated their demand that a dispute with Yemen's internationally recognised government over civil servants' wages must be resolved before they can agree to a permanent ceasefire.

Efforts to restart peace negotiations between the Houthis and the Yemeni government have stalled in recent months, with the salaries of civil servants proving a major sticking point.

Both sides accepted a truce for two months at the start of Ramadan in April last year. It was subsequently extended three times, but talks to extend it beyond October stalled.