KUWAIT: The Yemeni stakeholders are poised for reaping the fruits of the direct UN-facilitated peace talks which started here a fortnight ago under auspices of the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.
The three negotiating teams of the Yemeni government, the General People’s Congress and Ansarullah movement have proceeded to the topics of the agenda put forward by the UN envoy for a peaceful settlement to the conflict through addressing the political, security, economic and humanitarian aspects of the crisis.
In this context, Cheikh Ahmed said Thursday he will leave no stone unturned to set in motion a mutually-acceptable solution based on the UN Security Council Resolution 2216, the GCC initiative for peace and the outcomes of the previous rounds of the Yemeni National dialogue. At a press conference one day after the resumption of the talks which hit a snag four days ago when the government delegation suspended their participation, he called on all parties to engage in substantive discussions to realize the aspirations of the Yemeni people for peace, security and prosperity.
The UN envoy stressed the need to activate the recently-agreed truce monitoring committee, demilitarize the armed groups, and release of political detainees. However, he expressed concern over “numerous” violations of the truce agreement, noting that this should not be detrimental to the peace talks. Cheikh Ahmed said that he is reviewing this issue with firm support from the international community. “Tension on the ground should not affect peace talks, instead, we should help to facilitate these talks,” he said, adding that a solution to the conflict in Yemen can only be a political one. — KUNA
