RIYADH: The most comprehensive peace talks involving Yemen’s warring factions began in Riyadh on Wednesday as the coalition announced the restoration of legitimacy in Yemen, which is expected to help bring an end to the devastating conflict.
The conference was attended by hundreds of Yemeni politicians, tribal leaders and current and former military and security officials. The Houthis have refused to participate in the talks initiated by the GCC.
Inaugurating the conference, GCC Secretary-General Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf urged the participants to set aside their differences and find a comprehensive solution to end the war.
He insisted that the Gulf Bloc would support the results.
Al-Hajraf praised the coalition’s quick response, saying, “The success of the Yemeni-Yemeni consultation is not a choice, but a duty that requires everyone to (bear) national responsibility and reject all causes of division and internal inequalities.” need to.” The GCC demanded a ceasefire.
The coalition announced Tuesday night that it would halt military operations in Yemen to pave the way for the success of the talks.
UN Yemen envoy Hans Grundberg, who is currently holding similar talks – but with fewer people – in the Jordanian capital, Riyadh has long been instrumental in facilitating peace initiatives.
“Riyadh has offered a space for negotiations for important agreements such as the GCC Initiative and the Riyadh Accord. We need, as always, the support of the region to move towards an inclusive political process under the auspices of the (UN).” They said.
The war has destroyed the country’s state institutions, social fabric and economy and claimed the lives of thousands of Yemeni civilians, he said.
“The longer the conflict lasts, the more severe the impact on civilians, and the more difficult it is to reverse the damage. The Yemeni people need to see a clear path.”
The envoy said his latest efforts to persuade the warring factions to stop fighting in the month of Ramadan have yielded some results.
“For more than two months I have been engaging all parties to reach an agreement and we are making progress. Yemen needs a ceasefire. I am engaging with the parties in a sense of urgency to reach this agreement by the beginning of Ramadan. ,
US envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking also expressed his country’s support for the UN and GCC call and urged an end to all hostilities during Ramadan.
“We are committed to assisting UN-led efforts to advance a sustainable, inclusive solution to the conflict,” he urged attendees to reach a solution that ends the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
“On behalf of the United States of America, I express my sincere hope that everyone here today will take advantage of this momentous opportunity to work together to identify concrete steps that will improve the lives of all Yemenis.”
For the first time in years, talks in Riyadh have brought together rival political, military and tribal figures from Yemen, including senior members of the General People’s Congress and leaders of the pro-independence Southern Transitional Council.
Speaking to Arab News during the conference, participants expressed the hope that the larger gathering of Yemenis would agree on the way forward.
“The situation in Yemen is devastating. There is acute shortage of fuel and people are very poor. We hope that Yemen will unite its voice during the talks and that the international community, mainly Saudi Arabia and the GCC, will help them to implement the results,” said Abdullah bin Ali Jaber, a tribal leader from the southeastern province of Hadramaut. said.
The Houthis have reportedly rejected the GCC’s invitation to join the talks and have increased their military operations in Yemen, mainly in the central province of Marib.
Local officials and media reports have indicated that the Houthis launched significant attacks on government troops outside the city of Marib, apparently taking advantage of the site where coalition air strikes had stalled.
Yahiya Abu Hatem, a military analyst, told Arab News: “The Houthis have rejected and met all calls for peace. This group is Iran’s weapon to undermine security in the Arab world.” He said Yemenis should resolve their differences and “point their weapons at the Houthis.”