SANAA // Peace talks to end the war in Yemen are finally expected to take place in Kuwait today, one day after the Houthi rebels reversed their decision to boycott the UN-sponsored negotiations.
Representatives of the Houthis and their allies left the capital of Sanaa on Wednesday, to neighbouring Oman en route to Kuwait.
The talks were supposed to open in Kuwait on Monday but were put off after the Shiite rebels failed to show up over alleged Saudi violations of the ceasefire, which took effect on April 11.
Senior Houthi leader Mahdi Al Mashat said on Tuesday that the movement had received assurances from Kuwait and Oman that the ceasefire would be upheld and the agenda would “reflect the issues that are likely to lead to peaceful solutions to end the status quo”.
“We reserve the right to suspend our participation if the promises are not kept,” he said.
The talks are aimed at finding ways to resolve the year-long conflict between the internationally recognised government president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, and the Houthis and their allies, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh’s General People’s Congress (GPC).
On Tuesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Mr Hadi’s government and the rebels to work with his envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed “so that talks can start without further delay”.
Mr Hadi’s government is demanding the Houthis abide by a Security Council resolution calling for a political process and for the rebels to withdraw from cities they seized while surrendering their weapons. The Iran-backed insurgents want UN sanctions against Mr Saleh and Houthi leaders to be lifted, according to Yemeni sources close to the talks.
The conflict has raised tensions between Sunni Arab states led by Saudi Arabia and its main regional rival, Iran.
GCC countries and the US yesterday agreed to carry out joint patrols to stop any Iranian arms shipments reaching Yemen, said the bloc’s secretary general, Abdullatif Al Zayani.
Mr Al Zayani was speaking at a news conference with US defence secretary Ash Carter who had met his GCC counterparts.
Also on Wednesday, president Barack Obama arrived in Riyadh, where he was expected to discuss the wars in Yemen and Syria with Gulf leaders.
* Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters
