Houthis Working to Make Upcoming Yemen Peace Talks Successful

Sputnik News

15:39 08.12.2015(updated 15:53 08.12.2015)

The UN-brokered peace talks on Yemen will only succeed if all the warring parties genuinely support the political dialogue to end violence, rather than using the talks as a means to stall for time, a member of the Houthi opposition movement told Sputnik on Tuesday.

CAIRO (Sputnik) – Houthis, a major opposition force in control of large parts of Yemen, and the internationally-backed government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi have agreed to restart peace talks in Switzerland on December 15, according to the UN special envoy for Yemen.

'If the force that has been blocking a political solution for Yemen since March has been finally convinced of its necessity, we expect that the meeting [in Switzerland] will be the first step toward the solution,' Halima Jahaf said.

'But if it is another ploy to stall for time, it will all be in vain,' she warned, adding that the Houthis were working hard for the upcoming talks to succeed.

Next week's peace negotiations are expected to coincide with a ceasefire that is due to last until December 21, according to a plan presented by President Hadi to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the leadership of the Saudi-led coalition.

An Arab coalition headed by Saudi Arabia has been carrying out airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen at the request of Hadi since late March.

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