Saleh, Houthi be excluded, Yemen govt demands

United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed speaks during a press conference, in this May 15, 2016 photo at the information ministry in Kuwait City. (AFP)

KUWAIT CITY: Yemeni government delegates to peace talks in Kuwait have demanded that deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh be excluded from any political settlement, and that militias be disbanded before any agreement is reached.
The UN-backed unity government delegates said Saleh and Houthi Leader Abdel-Malek Al-Houthi need to be excluded prior to any political agreements.
The delegation has also urged militias to release Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Al-Subaihi and other political prisoners.
Al-Subaihi was leading a counter-offensive against the Houthis in Lahij governorate in March last year when he was captured by militia forces along with Faisal Rajab, commander of the pro-Hadi 119th Armored Brigade.
They also called for the immediate release of journalists imprisoned in Houthi militia prisons, who have reportedly been on hunger strike while in custody.
Peace talks in Kuwait ended with no resolutions as yet after the government representatives returned to the negotiating table, with close sources reporting that no topics of major disagreements and controversial topics being discussed during the last meeting.