presence of activist members in Hezbollah with the Houthi delegates in Geneva
The talks didn’t lead to any agreement concerning the detainees’ case introduced by the legitimate government, which is considered one of the main issues in the talks. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that rebels refused to free the detainees or provide any information about their fate despite the pressure put on them in recent days. The sources added that the rebels didn’t provide the other party with any information regarding the detainees despite an official request sent by the Yemeni Government to the UN Envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. They also said that the legitimate government is really concerned about the fate of the detainees, especially the Minister of Defense, Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Salem al-Subaihi.
The presence of activist members in Hezbollah with the Houthi delegates in Geneva raised questions about whether Tehran is the party directly leading the rebel group participating in the negotiations. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Nasser Akhdar, an active member in the party supported by Iran in Lebanon and holds a high post in Al Manar TV channel, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, was one of the Houthi delegations.
Sources close to the talks held in Geneva confirmed the presence of Iranian diplomats and experts in addition to other members in the consultations between the legitimate Yemeni Government and the rebels under the auspices of the United Nations.
The sources said that the Houthis have sought, in the past three days, to obstruct the consultations and they were absent, more than once, from the negotiating sessions.
Negotiations delegation agreed yesterday to form an impartial committee to monitor the cease-fire and impose respect the existing truce especially after the violations carried out by the Houthi militias.
A leader in the Popular Resistance supported by the Yemeni army said that the popular committees and the army were able to free Marib province from the Houthis. Moreover, several military sources said that the decision of entering to Yemen’s Capital Sanaa is to be made by President Abed Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.