Agreement on a One-Week Ceasefire in Yemen Ahead of April Negotiations

Government officials in Yemen who participated in the tripartite talks in Sana'a on Sunday say that Houthi forces and government supporters have agreed to implement a one-week ceasefire before the next round of negotiations, expected to take place in April. These officials, who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, were among those present in discussions held on Sunday with representatives of the Houthis and Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN special envoy for Yemen. According to the Associated Press, the Houthis have agreed to implement the Security Council resolution that requires them to lay down their arms and withdraw from occupied territories, including Sana'a. The government officials told the Associated Press that on Sunday they accepted that as a first step, the conflicting parties would implement a ceasefire to demonstrate goodwill. Previous attempts to implement a ceasefire in Yemen have failed, with each side accusing the other of violating the ceasefire. The first round of talks was held in December of last year in Switzerland, but efforts to resume talks have so far been fruitless. Meanwhile, the French news agency reported on Sunday from Aden that two days of clashes between government forces and Houthi forces have left 55 dead, including 14 civilians. Military sources told the French news agency that clashes intensified on Saturday in the city of Taiz, which has recently been taken from the Houthis and is under the control of government supporters, resulting in 26 deaths in the past 24 hours, including 14 civilians. Six government supporters and seven Houthis were also killed on Saturday in clashes in Shabwa province. Clashes on Saturday in Marib resulted in the deaths of 13 Houthis and three government supporters. Additionally, two government supporters were killed that day in an ambush on a government convoy between Taiz and Aden, reportedly involving ISIS forces. The battles in Yemen have left over 6,200 civilian casualties and displaced millions from their homes. In this context, the U.S. welcomed the possibility of reduced Saudi attacks in Yemen, while the number of casualties from a Saudi attack on a market in Yemen rose to 119, with at least 41 civilians killed. A delegation of Houthis went to Saudi Arabia for negotiations. The Arab coalition's attacks on a market in Sana'a left 40 dead, and the European Parliament has called on the Union to impose an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia.