Around 400 Yemeni politicians and tribal leaders launch talks in Saudi Arabia on Sunday on the future of their war-torn country, but the Shiite Houthi rebels who control the capital and much of northern Yemen are not participating.
The meeting came as a five-day cease-fire that has been repeatedly violated was set to expire. The Saudi-led coalition and the rebels have blamed each other for the violations, as fighting on the ground has continued throughout the pause.
The Houthis have rejected the main aim of the three-day talks — the restoration of Yemen’s exiled president — and the location of the negotiations in Saudi Arabia. The absence of the Houthis means the national dialogue is unlikely to end the violence.
The UN envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, opens the meeting by calling on all parties to ensure that the shaky cease-fire leads to a lasting truce.
“I call on all parties to refrain from any action that disturbs the peace of airports, main areas and the infrastructure of transport,” says Ahmed, who delivered the speech on behalf of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
—AP
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