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PoliticsYemen

Saudi delegation arrives in Yemen to discuss truce — reports

Saim Dušan Inayatullah
April 9, 2023

Saudi representatives have arrived in Sanaa to discuss halting the eight-year civil war in Yemen, according to reports. The move comes amid a diplomatic thaw between Riyadh and Tehran.

https://p.dw.com/p/4PrLA
A panorama of traditional Yemeni buildings in the old part of Sanaa
Sanaa is controlled by Houthi rebels, which are backed by IranImage: Jack Malipan/YAY Images/IMAGO

A Saudi delegation was reportedly in Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday to negotiate a potential truce.

An intervention led by Saudi Arabia has been supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government against the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group, which controls the Yemeni capital.

Yemen's government has been at war with the Houthis for eight years.

What do we know about the talks?

The AFP news agency cited a Yemeni diplomat as saying that Saudi officials are "in Sanaa to discuss moving forward to create peace in Yemen."

AFP said that Saudi officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Omani mediators also arrived in Sanaa on Saturday.

AFP cited an anonymous Yemeni government source as saying that Riyadh and the Houthis had agreed in principle to declare a six-month truce, which would pave the way for three months of negotiations and a two-year "transition" towards peace.

The Houthi group's news agency, Yemen News Agency (SABA), also confirmed the arrival of the Saudi delegation.

SABA cited Houthi official Mahdi Al-Mashat as saying that he welcomed the two delegations and praised Oman for its efforts to mediate the conflict.

Another Houthi official, Mohammed Al-Bukaiti, tweeted that it was "too early" to say if the negotiations with Riyadh would succeed. He said it was clear that there was an "atmosphere of peace" in the region, giving cause for "optimism and hope."

Al-Bukaiti said that achieving peace between Riyadh and the Houthis would be a "victory for both parties."

Talks follow Iran-Saudi Arabia deal

The Saudi delegation's arrival comes roughly a month after China helped broker a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Top Saudi and Iranian diplomats met in Beijing on Thursday and pledged to work to bring "security and stability" to the Middle East.

On Saturday, a Saudi delegation arrived in Iran to discuss the reopening of the kingdom's diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad.

Agence France-Presse material contributed to this report.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic