UN Representative: Yemen Peace Talks to Be Held Soon in Sweden

Martin Griffiths, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, told the Security Council on Friday that the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels have shown their willingness and commitment to negotiate a political solution to end the war in Yemen. According to the French news agency, Mr. Griffiths also announced his intention to hold peace talks between the Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government "in the near future" in Sweden. He stated that both parties have "strongly assured" that they will attend these negotiations, and he believes that this time they are close to resolving the issues. The UN representative then added that the Saudi-led military coalition has agreed to provide "logistical coordination" to facilitate the negotiations and to transfer the injured from areas controlled by the rebels in Sana'a. A day earlier, reports had emerged about the cessation of coalition attacks against Houthi rebels in the port city of Hodeidah, which Arab media such as Reuters interpreted as a result of Western pressures to end the war in the country. Western countries, including the United States, had previously called for an immediate ceasefire ahead of the Yemen peace talks. This war, which has lasted about four years, has resulted in over ten thousand deaths and millions are on the brink of famine and starvation. Meanwhile, the UN Special Envoy announced that he is on the verge of reaching an agreement for the exchange of prisoners and detainees. Martin Griffiths stated, "This is a critical moment for Yemen." However, he also warned that a sudden attack could derail efforts to achieve peace. No date has yet been set for the peace talks. The UN had initially announced that these talks would take place in September, but this did not happen. Griffiths plans to travel to Sana'a and areas controlled by the rebels next week to finalize arrangements and even travel to Sweden with the Houthi delegation. According to the UN report, eight million people in Yemen are severely food insecure, a number that could rise to fourteen million.