Yemen sides begin UN-brokered talks on prisoner exchange
CTV
Yemen's warring sides began talks Saturday aimed at implementing a UN-brokered deal on a prisoner exchange, the United Nations said.
Yemen's warring sides began talks Saturday aimed at implementing a UN-brokered deal on a prisoner exchange, the United Nations said.
The discussions between Yemen's internationally recognized government and the Houthi rebels are talking place in Switzerland. They are co-chaired by UN envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Grundberg urged both parties to "engage in serious and forthcoming discussions to agree on releasing as many detainees as possible," according to a UN statement.
"I urge the parties to fulfill the commitments they made, not just to each other, but also to the thousands of Yemeni families who have been waiting to be reunited with their loved ones for far too long," he said.
Yemen's conflict erupted in 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country's north. That prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognized government to power.
Jason Straziuso, a Geneva-based spokesperson for the ICRC, characterized the meeting as an opportunity to "reduce the humanitarian suffering associated with this conflict."
"If more detainees are released, it will be welcome news for families that can be re-united with loved ones," he said.
