9/15/2023-|Last update: 9/15/202306:20 PM (Mecca time)
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan welcomed the arrival of a senior delegation from the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) to Riyadh in the first official visit since the start of the war in Yemen.
Sullivan called on “all parties to the conflict to further enhance the benefits of the truce that brought a measure of peace to the Yemenis and ultimately put an end to this war.”
Sullivan stressed that the United States is proud to provide its diplomatic support to the ongoing peace efforts in coordination with the Yemeni parties and the United Nations. He also praised Saudi Arabia’s leadership of the current initiative, and thanked the Sultanate of Oman for its important role.
Yesterday, Thursday, Saudi Arabia announced an invitation to a delegation from the Yemeni capital, Sanaa – which is controlled by the Houthis – to visit the Kingdom and complete discussions on reaching a Yemeni political solution, according to a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A member of the Supreme Political Council of the Houthis, Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi, also confirmed – through his account on the “X” platform – the departure of the Sanaa delegation to Riyadh, hoping to overcome the challenges.
Al-Houthi said that talks are continuing between Sanaa and Riyadh, with Omani mediation. He added that the discussions include “paying the salaries of Yemeni employees, opening airports and ports, releasing all prisoners and detainees, the exit of foreign forces, and reconstruction, leading to a comprehensive political solution.”
Agence France-Presse quoted an official at the airport in the capital, which is under Houthi control, as saying that an Omani plane transported “a Houthi delegation including 10 people in addition to 5 Omanis” from Sanaa to Riyadh, while a Houthi official reported that “the duration of the visit is 5 days.”
This visit comes about 5 months after a visit by a Saudi delegation to Sanaa to discuss the peace process.
The Yemeni government welcomes
In a statement today, Friday, the Yemeni government welcomed “the efforts of the brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman and the international and international efforts aimed at pushing the Houthi militias towards seriously dealing with calls for peace and alleviating the human suffering of the Yemeni people.”
It reaffirmed its “open approach to all initiatives aimed at establishing a just and comprehensive peace, ensuring the end of the coup, the restoration of state institutions, and security, stability and development in Yemen.”
The Sultanate of Oman plays the role of mediator in the war in Yemen, and the visit of the Sultanate’s delegation with the Houthi negotiating delegation comes days after the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Oman, where Houthi officials reside, including the group’s official spokesman, Mohammed Abdul Salam.
2023-09-15 15:00:00
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