LONDON: The UN’s Yemen envoy, Hans Grundberg, announced on Thursday that the country’s warring parties had agreed to release more than 1,600 conflict-related detainees following 14 weeks of negotiations in Jordan, in what he described as the largest prisoner release deal since the war began.
The Yemeni conflict erupted in 2014 when the Iran-aligned Houthi militia seized the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government to flee.
The UN envoy said the deal demonstrated that “even amid deep mistrust and prolonged conflict, dialogue can still yield results,” adding that the agreement offered “hope and relief to thousands of families who have waited far too long, some for over a decade, for the release of their relatives.”
He praised families of detainees for their advocacy efforts, saying: “Today’s achievement also belongs to them.”
Grundberg described the negotiations as “extraordinarily complex,” saying the parties continued discussions through Ramadan, Eid and a period of heightened regional tensions.
He also thanked the International Committee of the Red Cross for co-chairing the process and expressed appreciation to Jordan for hosting the talks in Amman.
The ICRC in a statement said both sides agreed on the identities of the detainees to be released, and added that the Geneva-based organization is ready to facilitate their repatriation.
Grundberg said previous rounds of negotiations in Oman and Switzerland had helped pave the way for the latest breakthrough.
Under the agreement, the parties have approved an implementation plan with the Red Cross to carry out the releases.
It was not immediately clear when the release will start.
Grundberg urged both sides to continue working toward additional prisoner exchanges, including through unilateral releases, in line with the “all-for-all” principle outlined in the Stockholm Agreement.
He also called for the release of UN personnel and other detainees still being held arbitrarily.
“I hope today’s agreement will build confidence and trust to make progress on what the Yemeni people need most — a sustainable peace,” he said.
