April 10 to see guns fall silent in Yemen

NEW YORK/RIYADH: A special UN envoy announced Wednesday a cease-fire across Yemen on April 10 followed a week later by fresh peace talks, raising hopes for a breakthrough.
Yemen has been gripped by violence since September 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels stormed the capital Sanaa and forced the internationally recognized government out.
“The parties to the conflict have agreed to a nationwide cessation of hostilities beginning April 10 at midnight in advance of the upcoming round of the peace talks, which will take place on April 18 in Kuwait,” Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told a press conference in New York.
A Saudi-led coalition began an air war in March last year to push back an offensive by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control Sanaa.
“The aim is to reach an agreement which will end the conflict and allow the resumption of an inclusive political dialogue,” Cheikh Ahmed said Wednesday, telling reporters that he had held intense discussions with the internationally recognized government and the rebels.
The face-to-face negotiations are in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2216, which states that the rebels must withdraw from seized territories and disarm.
The envoy said he hoped the cessation of hostilities would allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access to millions of suffering Yemenis.
Earlier, Riyadh urged the UN to pressure militant groups in Yemen into accepting peace resolutions.
This was the call made by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a meeting with Cheikh Ahmed.
“During the meeting on Tuesday, the two discussed the latest developments in Yemen and efforts to bring security and stability to the country,” a UN official said on Wednesday.
Before their meeting, Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Ahmed met with President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who said his government was ready to oversee a transition that would bring peace to the country.
Ahmed had earlier traveled to Sanaa for reconciliation talks.

— With input from agencies