- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Yemen Ceasefire Requires Houthi Withdrawal, Prisoner Release - Official

© REUTERS / Khaled Abdullah A guard sits on the rubble of the house of Brigadier Fouad al-Emad, an army commander loyal to the Houthis, after air strikes destroyed it in Sanaa, Yemen June 15, 2015
A guard sits on the rubble of the house of Brigadier Fouad al-Emad, an army commander loyal to the Houthis, after air strikes destroyed it in Sanaa, Yemen June 15, 2015 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Yemeni Foreign Minister Riyadh Yaseen said that Houthis should withdraw their troops from all cities, release the prisoners, start working with the international community for ceasefire.

Yemen's exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi (C) is seen surrounded by security forces upon his arrival for the opening of Riyadh Conference for Saving Yemen and Building Federal State in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on May 17, 2015 - Sputnik International
Yemen Reconciliation Talks to Begin in Geneva Monday
GENEVA (Sputnik) – There will be no ceasefire in Yemen until the Houthis withdraw all of their units from the cities and release all prisoners, Yemeni Foreign Minister Riyadh Yaseen said Monday.

"It is totally associated with the withdrawal from all cities, they should release the prisoners they are holding, they should start working with the international community," Yaseen told journalists in English.

Yaseen said that when the Houthis fulfill all of these terms and stop firing, "then there will be something to talk about."

Yemen’s top diplomat added that the Yemeni government does not consider these terms to be preliminary conditions, but the fulfillment of a UN Security Council resolution.

Yaseen's remarks on the opening day of the crisis meetings in Geneva came as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for a two-week ceasefire in the conflict that the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates has killed over 2,500 people.

Damage is seen following a Saudi-led air strike in Yemen's northwestern city of Saada May 22, 2015 - Sputnik International
Russia Calls for Humanitarian Pause in Yemen Ahead of Ramadan Fasting
Saudi-led coalition airstrikes, launched on March 26, continue throughout the parts of Yemen held by the Shiite Houthi movement, who has begun seizing territory last September.

President Abd Rabbuh Mansur's regime suffered considerable damage early this year with the Houthis capturing Yemeni capital Sanaa and prompting Mansur's departure to Riyadh.

Monday's UN-mediated talks are expected to feature a total of 18 Yemeni factions, including Hadi's supporters and a Houthi delegation. Some of the participants, including Houthi delegates, were en route and expected to arrive in Geneva later on Monday.

The UN special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, will serve as a mediating party between government forces and the Houthis, who are so far refusing to meet directly.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала