Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Houthis Turn against Kuwaiti Mediation and Knock Over Peace Talks Agenda | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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United Nations envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed (L) meets with Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden December 5, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer


Riyadh- The Insurgency delegation attending the Yemeni peace talks in Kuwait, yesterday, turned against the mediation led by the Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and all peace-making efforts of 18 international ambassadors, who were sent by countries sponsoring the political settlement in Yemen.

The insurgency representation reneged their previous consent, which they had given two days ago, concerning the work agenda laid out for the deliberations and demanded a direct jump into the part negotiating political arguments.

The Insurgency backpedaling on the negotiations led to the evening session’s cancellation. The session was expected to bring together the U.N. Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed with four members of each negotiating delegation.

Insurgent’s breaking prior agreements was made evident at solo meetings convened between the U.N. envoy and each of the delegations alone.

Sources attending the peace talks told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the U.N. special envoy, at each of the one-on-one sessions, addressed the general structure of how the negotiating process would be employed, the agenda and other required preparations.

However, all those side talks were rendered fruitless after the insurgents proving once again strictly opinionated and inept for making compensations, sources added.

Other Yemeni sources confirmed Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the “ stances adopted by the insurgents have directly frustrated any optimism which surrounded the negotiations during the hours following the announcement made by Emir of Kuwait on the negotiations being restored to their previously determined timeline.”

“The Houthi-Saleh delegation (the insurgency delegation comprising Houthi insurgents and supporters pro-ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh) has turned against the Kuwait-held peace talks and skipped into negotiating previously declared U.N. Security Council resolutions,” sources added.

The insurgency insisted when meeting with U.N. special envoy Ahmed that they were seeking a guaranteed political settlement before turning in weaponry they possess or withdrawing from cities they occupy, sources said.

Sources close to the governmental delegation at the talks told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that optimism took over the atmosphere after the insurgency had first agreed to return to the negotiations addressing important topics including the U.N. Security Council resolution 2216, withdrawal from cities, turning in high-caliber weaponry and relieving the current humanitarian crisis before addressing political arguments.

However, the source compares the insurgents diving into political issues before taking the agenda step by step to the Yemeni government agreeing to the U.N. listed conditions; which does not necessarily translate into the Yemeni government conceding to all conditions. Yet

the government still showed up at the U.N. sponsored talks took in the conditions to guarantee the negotiations’ success.