Displaced Yemenis receive humanitarian aid provided by the World Food Programme in the city of Taiz on Sept 11, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)
With different sides of Yemen and the region welcoming a Riyadh-hosted dialogue with Houthi forces, hopes have risen for a possible breakthrough in permanent ceasefire to end the Yemen conflict – once considered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis by the United Nations.
Though this may not guarantee the total absence of conflict, analysts said the latest development was a “critical juncture” for the fragile peace process that could minimize fighting. They also noted it could lead to an inclusive regional vision of peace and prosperity under Saudi leadership, following the China-brokered Saudi-Iran detente and Syria’s reinstatement into the Arab League in May.
The Yemeni government said in a statement on Sept 15 that it welcomed the efforts of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UN, and international actors aimed at pushing the Houthi militia “towards seriously dealing with calls for peace and alleviating the human suffering of the Yemeni people”
Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council – an intergovernmental union comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia – praised the joint efforts to find a peaceful and comprehensive solution.
In a statement published on Sept 17, Albudaiwi said that the latest round of talks with the Houthi delegation, hosted by Riyadh, “is one of the significant steps taken by the Kingdom towards achieving peace in Yemen”, and wished the negotiations success and positive results that would “help in developing a permanent and comprehensive solution to the Yemeni crisis”.
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Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry on Sept 14 announced it had invited a Houthi delegation from Sanaa to visit the kingdom as a continuation of joint efforts with Oman to “reach a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in Yemen for a sustainable and acceptable political solution from all Yemeni parties”. The talks went ahead as scheduled over the past days.
Henelito Sevilla Jr, dean and professor of the Asian Center at the University of the Philippines, told China Daily that the Saudi invitation was part of its leadership initiative to bring solidarity and dialogue among countries and groups in the Middle East and North Africa amid geopolitical development.
“The invitation shows the commitment of the Saudi government to facilitate and provide avenues for regional actors to discuss and possibly resolve their geopolitical and security concerns,” said Sevilla.
“The invitation to the Houthis in Yemen is an acknowledgment that peace and reconciliation could not be attended without an inclusive process where all actors are involved in the negotiation,” he added.
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The Yemeni government said in a statement on Sept 15 that it welcomed the efforts of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UN, and international actors aimed at pushing the Houthi militia “towards seriously dealing with calls for peace and alleviating the human suffering of the Yemeni people”.
The statement said the government had “renewed its open approach to all initiatives aimed at bringing about a just and comprehensive peace” in a way that ensures an end to the coup, the restoration of state institutions, and security, stability, and development in Yemen.
Sevilla said that the latest talks were “a critical juncture for the region” but they offer no guarantee of a stable, conflict-free future.
However, he noted optimism that Saudi Arabia’s leadership and improving relations in the region could lead to an inclusive vision of peace and prosperity.
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“Like the Saudi invitation with Syria, and Saudi's recent rapprochement with Iran, Saudi's invitation to Houthi recognizes equally the critical role of Houthis in achieving a sustainable peace in the coming years. Thus dialogue and confidence building are better options than confrontation and war,” said Sevilla.
Oman, which borders both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, has largely remained neutral in the Yemeni conflict. It has been actively engaged in brokering a truce between the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government
Oman, which borders both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, has largely remained neutral in the Yemeni conflict. It has been actively engaged in brokering a truce between the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
The Foreign Ministry of Oman announced on Sept 12 that Sultan Haitham bin Tarik received Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, who was on a private visit, at the Al Barakah Palace.
Rasha Al Joundy, a senior researcher at the Dubai Public Policy Research Center, told China Daily that reaching a deal all parties agree on is not easy.
“It is not enough that the Houthis agree to come to Riyadh. There are a lot of issues to be discussed. A guideline on how this cease-fire could be permanent is the most important one, along with the guarantee that the Houthis stop using or attacking Yemen to attack Saudi land,” she said.
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Al Joundy also noted that a governance vision for Yemen is needed that is acceptable to all sides for peace to last.
“Saudi Arabia is both an observer of this process and a part of it, therefore, Saudi is trying its best to make the negotiations succeed,” she added.
There have been previous talks aimed at ending the Yemeni crisis. The previous truce – brokered by the UN – lasted for six months but expired in October last year, still relatives calm sustains.
Yemen has been in a civil war since late 2014 after the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of several northern provinces, forcing the Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa. Houthi rebels hold several regions in northern Yemen, including Sanaa.
