KSA delegation in Sanaa returns to Riyadh, more talks expected

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Apr 2023 11:52
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A Kingdom of Saudi Arabia delegation arrived in Sanaa on Monday and left four days later without having finalized a truce, but optimism still reigns regarding future talks.

The Head of Yemen's Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, meets with Saudi and Omani delegations at the Republican Palace in Sanaa, Yemen April 9, 2023. (Reuters)

After four days of negotiations, the Saudi delegation that landed in Sanaa returned to Riyadh despite not having reached a final agreement. However, the delegation revealed that the Ansar Allah movement has agreed to meet for another round of negotiations in the near future.

The delegation, which was headed by the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber, left Sanaa earlier on Thursday following a series of talks in the Yemeni capital.

An official in the Ansar Allah movement, cited by AFP, stated that "there is an initial agreement on a truce that should be announced later on if finalized," and confirmed that "there is an agreement to hold another round of talks to further discuss points of difference."

Moreover, it was reported that the Saudi delegation committed to communicating the "conditions" set by the Ansar Allah movement to Riyadh.

A source at the Yemeni foreign ministry told AFP that the Saudi delegation would communicate the "conditions" to the leadership in Riyadh.

It is worth noting that the UK ambassador to Yemen, Richard Oppenheim stated, via Twitter, that the negotiations were a "positive development and may be the start of a golden opportunity for peace," and added that "Yemen has suffered a lot in the last eight years, which makes grabbing any opportunity for peace a top priority."

Yemen rebuffs KSA as mediating power: Saudi party in conflict

The Deputy Chief of the Sanaa negotiating delegation and Deputy Prime Minister of the Sanaa Government for Defense and Security Affairs Jalal Al-Ruwaishan, expressed the Yemeni people's gratitude for the mediation efforts undertaken by the Sultanate of Oman, its positive role in bridging differences, and its efforts to achieve peace.

Speaking with Yemen's Al Masirah TV channel, Al-Ruwaishan affirmed that Saudi Arabia is not a mediator but a major party in the conflict.

"It is odd that the Saudi delegation is assuming the role of mediator," he tersely stated.

"The leader of the Ansar Allah movement, Sayyed Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi set clear objectives -- which do not require a lot of dialogue -- for achieving a just peace for the Yemeni people," he said.

The top Yemeni official clarified that "the negotiation to lift the blockade and end the aggression and occupation is between Sanaa and the countries of aggression, and the political solution that follows is between the Yemenis.

This comes shortly after Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Saeed Al Jaber, said Monday during a visit to Sanaa that his trip was aimed at consolidating the armistice, establishing a ceasefire, and backing the prisoner swap deal, as well as discussing the means of dialogue between the various Yemeni political components to reach a comprehensive and sustainable political solution in Yemen.