Yemeni government agrees to rejoin Kuwait peace talks
President Hadi confirms he will send the government’s delegation back to Kuwait talks as requested by the Emir of Qatar.
The Yemeni government has agreed to resume peace talks in Kuwait after Qatari diplomacy succeeded in convincing President Abd-Rabbu Mansur Hadi to get back to the negotiating table.
Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdul-Malik al-Mekhlafi said on Saturday that the Yemeni government would give the peace talks one last chance after receiving regional and international guarantees.
Last Tuesday, the Yemeni government delegation walked out of talks in Kuwait saying rebels insist on violating UN resolutions.
The UN resolution demands rebels to withdraw their troops from areas under their control, including the capital Sanaa, release political prisoners and hand over state institutions to the Hadi government, which was forced out by the rebels.
The decision on Saturday came after President Hadi held talks with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and UN secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Doha.
Hadi, who runs the government in exile from Saudi Arabia, participated in a trilateral meeting with Qatar’s Emir and the UN chief in the Qatari capital.
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“The President of Yemen confirmed that he will send the government’s delegation back to the talks as requested by His Highness the Amir of State of Qatar and the Secretary-General,” a statement by the UN chief said.
“The UN chief has asked his Special Envoy [Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed] to respond to the recent letter received from the government of Yemen,” the statement said.
Thanking Qatar for its diplomatic efforts, Ban said he strongly hoped the peace talks that will shortly resume in Kuwait will lead to concrete results.
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Last week, Yemen’s government and Houthi rebels agreed to free half of the prisoners and detainees held by either side in the first breakthrough of the peace talks that began on April 21.
The peace talks have been hampered by accusations of ceasefire violations from both the sides.