The United Nations is prompting Yemen’s warring sides to agree a six-month truce extension, two sources familiar with the talks said, which will be the longest in the seven-year-old conflict as international efforts have been made on both sides to end the war. pressure increases.
Peace efforts received a boost last week after US President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia, where he announced a deal with the Saudi leadership to “deepen and extend” the ceasefire that ends on August 2.
However, the UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg will have to address strong grievances from both sides before accepting a further renewal of the current two-month truce deal, which first took place in April, sources said.
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If agreed, the six-month extension would be the biggest step ever in the UN process toward resolving a conflict that has left thousands dead and millions facing severe humanitarian famines. Huh.
“The proposal (for extension of six months) has been with the parties for some time now,” said one of the sources.
Grundberg will travel in the coming days to Oman, where the Houthis’ chief negotiators are based, and Yemen’s southern port city of Aden, where the Saudi-backed government is headquartered, for discussions, the source said.
Ismini Palla, spokeswoman for Grundberg’s office, said UN envoys were discussing with the parties the renewal of the current ceasefire, including the possibility of extending it for a longer period, but “not discussing details at this time”. can do”.
“Mr. Grundberg will continue his broad engagement with the parties in the coming days,” Palla told Reuters by email. “We hope that the parties will constructively engage in their efforts … that they will seek to justify the conflict in Yemen.” And don’t miss this opportunity to reach a permanent end.”
frustrations
Both sides are dismayed about the implementation of the full terms of the deal, including allowing fuel ships to dock in the Houthi-held Hodeidah port, some commercial flights from the capital Sanaa, which is also under the group’s control, and rerouting roads. To open conversation. disputed tej area
Sources said Saudi-backed officials blamed the Houthis for not reopening main roads in Taiz and accused them of not sharing tax revenue from the port of Hodeidah, while the movement blamed the coalition for those arriving in Hodeidah in recent weeks. Charged with reducing the number of fuel ships. , and says that Egypt has not allowed more than one flight from Sanaa to Cairo.
There was no immediate reaction from Yemen’s government, Houthi officials and Egypt’s foreign ministry for comment on a request from Reuters.
Representatives from the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, a group known as the “Quint”, held virtual talks on Monday to discuss a truce extension, and the US envoy to Yemen Timothy Lenderking is expected to embark on a journey. in the region on Tuesday, said one of the sources.
Read more:
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UN envoy to seek longer, extended ceasefire in Yemen civil war
