Will Yemen See the End of Conflict?
Following “extensive” consultations with Yemeni leaders and regional partners, the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen announced Wednesday that parties to the conflict have agreed to a nation-wide cessation of hostilities beginning at midnight on 10 April, in advance of the upcoming round of peace talks, scheduled on 18 April in Kuwait.
“I have previously emphasized that only a political solution and inclusive peace process will ensure a future of reconciliation and peace in the country,” said the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, at a press briefing in New York.
One year on into the conflict, the UN estimates that tens of thousands of Yemenis have been killed or injured, one in 10 are displaced and nearly the entire population is in urgent need of aid.
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Five main areas of the peace talks:
The envoy further explained that the talks will focus on five main areas; he has asked the parties to present concept papers on each of them by 3 April.
– the withdrawal of militias and armed groups
– the handover of heavy weapons to the State
– interim security arrangements
– the restoration of state institutions and the resumption of inclusive political dialogue
– the creation of a special committee for prisoners and detainees
To help Yemen preserve economic stability during this crisis, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed has also pursued agreements which seek to preserve the functioning of key state institutions, such as the Central Bank, on which the Yemeni people depend.
