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Kuwaiti Peace Consultations Tackle Details of Withdrawal and Handing over Weapons | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Armed Houthi followers demonstrate in Yemen’s capital Sana’a July 24, 2015. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah


Riyadh-The current Yemeni peace talks in Kuwait continue amid a great deal of secrecy as international and U.N. efforts are spent to reach an understanding to end the crisis.

Peace consultations currently tackle sensitive facts concerning means to put an end to the war and the following steps needed to reach a political settlement after Houthi militias and forces loyal to their ally, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, had ousted the legitimate government.

Asharq al-Awsat learned form sources close to the peace talks that the Western efforts exerted to solve the crisis are, to a large extent, similar to the suggestions of the rebels, and therefore has turned into pressuring the legitimate government delegation to accept the suggestions that would legalize the coup.

However, the sources added that the Western efforts are still not similar or unified in their proposals to solve the crisis, or in the way they look at the Yemeni parties, particularly that the international community is determined to recognize President Abd-Rabu Mansur Hadi and his government.

Sources also said that: “the main complication during these consultations is not the issue of the government, the presidency or the partnership, but rather acknowledging the presence of a legitimate coup.”

“Such proposals will remain in the frame of raising the roof of demands, and it is certain that they won’t be endorsed if not accepted by Yemenis,” the sources said, adding that “the rebel delegation is using the (peace) consultations to receive legitimacy and give a different interpretation to the U.N. Resolution 2216.”

Asharq al-Awsat also quoted its sources as saying “that the Houthis demands fall under reaching an agreement on presidential, governmental and all other appointments, in addition to handling 50% of the ministerial portfolios and posts in the military and other institutions.”

“Houthis also demanded the annulation of several decisions previously taken by President Abd-Rabu Mansur Hadi, including the appointment of the vice president and prime minister, and an agreement on the formation of military, security and political committees generated from the current talks,” the sources said.

A source participating in the consultations praised the role played by the host country, Kuwait, in its efforts to solve the crisis. “Our Kuwaiti brothers are honest in their efforts to bring Yemen out of its current crisis and to put an end to the war, however the rebel groups have a huge, detrimental plan for Yemen and the region in general,” the source told Asharq al-Awsat. The source added that claims made by Houthi rebels that they are a minority are false. “They are not a minority, and they own weapons they stole from the Yemeni government. These weapons should be taken from them,” the source said.

U.N. envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Sheikh Ahmed said Tuesday that security issues have dominated discussions in the Yemeni peace talks.He added that the “violations of cessation of hostilities are not acceptable.”

He said: “Economic decline and shortage in water and electricity should motivate the parties to double their efforts towards reaching a comprehensive solution.

“Political bickering would only complicate issues. Only a political solution will help resolve them.”