Yemen gov’t says to swap prisoners with Houthi rebels
The Yemeni government said on Saturday it will swap prisoners with the rebel Houthi group.
“The Yemeni government is close to reaching a deal with the UN envoy about a draft for exchanging captives, detainees…and those placed under house arrest,” Yemeni delegate to the United Nations Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak said in a statement to the UN Security Council.
He said the government has agreed to swap prisoners and captives with Houthi rebels.
“We are keen on taking confidence-building measures and freeing the captives,” he said.
There was no comment from the Shia Houthi group on the report.
Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.
The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.
The ongoing violence has destroyed much of Yemen’s infrastructure, including water and sanitation systems, prompting the UN to describe the situation as one of “the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times”.
Republican and Democratic U.S. senators introduced legislation on Thursday seeking to strike back at Saudi Arabia over the death of a Saudi journalist at a consulate in Turkey and for its role in Yemen's devastating civil war.If it were to become law, the bill would suspend weapon sales to Saudi Arabia and prohibit U.S. refueling of Saudi coalition aircraft for Riyadh's campaign in Yemen against the Houthis, Shi'ite Muslim fighters that Yemen's neighbors view as agents of Iran, the lawmakers said.Funeral prayer to be performed for KhashoggiWashington Post slams Riyadh's new Khashoggi account
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The Saudi-led coalition has ordered a halt in its offensive against Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen's main port city of Hodeidah, three sources told Reuters on Thursday.The decision came as key Western allies including the United States pressed for a ceasefire ahead of renewed U.N.-led peace efforts to end more than three years of war which have pushed Yemen to the brink of famine."The coalition has instructed forces on the ground to halt fighting inside Hodeidah," said one pro-coalition military source. Another military source backed by the coalition confirmed the order.Two protesters shot dead in eastern YemenA third non-military source with knowledge of the decision said the coalition was responding to international requests for a ceasefire to ensure the Houthis attend planned peace talks.A coalition spokesman did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.U.N. special envoy Martin Griffiths is trying to salvage talks between the warring Yemeni parties after the last round in September collapsed when the Houthis did not show up.The Sunni Muslim coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in Yemen's war in 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government ousted by the Houthi movement in 2014.The alliance relies on Western arms and intelligence in the conflict, seen as a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran, which has killed more than 10,000 people.Greek border guards strip, beat Yemeni, Palestinian migrantsTurkish agency distributes aid in war-torn YemenEU: Civilians paying ultimate price in Yemen conflictYemeni army advances into Al-Hudaydah amid clashes
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Two protesters were shot dead by government forces in eastern Yemen on Wednesday, according to a senior security official.Local residents staged a protest against a decision to erect a security checkpoint in Haswain, west of Mahra province, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.He said the protest developed into an armed clash during which security forces opened fire, killing two and injuring four others, the official said.Turkish agency distributes aid in war-torn YemenMahra governor Rajeh Bakrit, for his part, said on Twitter the security checkpoint came under fire from “outlaws and traffickers”, backed by Houthi rebels.“They have been dealt with firmly,” he said, vowing to “strike with an iron fist against whoever tampers with security and stability of the homeland”.The government-controlled Mahra province has the longest coast in eastern Yemen with 560 kilometers on the Arabian Sea.Since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence and turmoil.EU: Civilians paying ultimate price in Yemen conflict
Two protesters shot dead in eastern Yemen