Yemen's warring parties commit to cease-fire steps

DUBAI — Yemen's warring parties have committed to a new ceasefire and agreed to engage in a UNled peace process to end the civil war, the UN envoy for Yemen said on Saturday.

The announcement by the UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, marks the latest step to end the nine-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

It follows recent meetings by Grundberg in Saudi Arabia and Oman with Rashad Al-Alimi, head of Yemen's presidential council, and Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the chief Houthi negotiator.

"The parties have taken a significant step. Their commitments are, first and foremost, an obligation to the Yemeni people to progress toward a future that meets the legitimate aspirations of all Yemenis," Grundberg said in a statement.

Grundberg said he "welcomes the parties' commitment to a set of measures to implement a nationwide cease-fire … and (to) engage in preparations for the resumption of an inclusive political process".

The envoy "will now engage with the parties to establish a road map under UN auspices that includes these commitments and supports their implementation", it added.

Mediation role praised

Grundberg also thanked Saudi Arabia and Oman for supporting the talks and urged maximum restraint by all sides to enable further progress on the road map.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the Yemeni government.

A UN-brokered cease-fire that took effect in April 2022 brought a sharp reduction in hostilities. The truce expired in October last year.

The agreement comes amid a flurry of attacks by Houthis in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is fighting Hamas militants.

Agencies - Xinhua