AL-MUKALLA: Diplomats and mediators have urged restraint from Yemen’s government while they attempt to renew a UN-brokered truce with the Iranian-backed Houthis.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told Al-Arabiya TV that efforts were ongoing to get a deal. He added that the Kingdom, the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, and the Yemeni government were “keen” on achieving a result.
A Yemeni government official told Arab News that diplomats and officials advised Rashad Al-Alimi, head of the country’s Presidential Leadership Council, to avoid staging military operations or taking other actions that may jeopardize efforts.
Another Yemeni official, who requested anonymity, said: “All efforts are directed toward remaining calm and providing the mediators a chance to convince the Houthis.”
He added that efforts led by Oman had succeeded in bringing calm to the battlefields but there was more work needed to get a new truce in place.
Yemen’s truce came into effect on April 2. It significantly reduced hostilities, enabled thousands of passengers to travel from the Houthi-held Sanaa airport, and allowed more than 52 fuel ships to dock in Hodeidah.
However, it collapsed earlier this month when the Houthis refused to open a main road out of Taiz and amid a row over how the government paid public employees in rebel territory.
Fatehi bin Lazerq, editor of the news website Aden Al-Ghad, said that talks over how state salaries should be paid were at an impasse.
The Houthis demanded that money be sent to them directly for disbursement. The government instead offered to pay salaries through post offices or money exchanges.
The government also proposed paying only those who were on the payroll before the 2014 coup. The Houthis demanded those who joined after their coup be included.
The UN’s Yemen envoy, Hans Grundberg, visited the UAE to discuss efforts to extend the truce.
The US State Department said its Yemen envoy, Tim Lenderking, would be returning to the region and called on the Houthis to renew the truce.
“The truce remains the best opportunity for peace Yemenis have had in years. The United States and the international community stand ready to support an expanded truce,” it said.
