Saudi FM: Houthis Show Unwillingness to Peacefully Resolve Yemeni Conflict

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Tough stance taken by Yemen’s Houthi rebels at the peace talks in Geneva shows their unwillingness to peacefully resolve the Yemeni crisis, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told RT Arabic.

“It seems that their positions show unwillingness to resolve the Yemeni crisis peacefully. The solution to the conflict is clear – it is based on the Gulf initiative, the decisions of the Yemen's National Dialogue Conference achieved by country’s political factions, and UN Security Council resolution 2216. The solution is obvious,” the minister said.

On Friday, the first round of Yemen's reconciliation talks concluded in the Swiss city of Geneva. The UN-mediated talks between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels kicked off on Monday without the participation of Houthis, while UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a two-month ceasefire to mark Ramadan.

According to Yemeni Foreign Minister Riad Yassin, the talks did not yield any positive results.

Yemen has been in a state of turmoil in recent months, as the Houthi rebels, the country’s main opposition force, seized large areas of the country, and President Abd Mansur Rabbuh Hadi fled the country. Saudi-led international coalition has been carrying out airstrikes on the rebels’ positions since late March following Hadi’s request.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the Yemeni conflict has left over 2,500 people dead.