Yemen's peace talks to kick off on December 15: UN envoy

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Tuesday 08 Dec 2015 - 10:20 Makkah mean time-26-2-1437 UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed (Google image) Geneva (IINA) – After several weeks of intensive consultations with Yemeni warring parties, as well as with regional and international players, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said Monday that the parties have agreed to open a series of talks aimed at establishing a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire on December 15 in Switzerland, UN News Center reported. “We strongly believe that the only way to end the suffering of the Yemeni people and to rebuild confidence, trust, and mutual respect is through peaceful and inclusive dialogue,” Cheikh Ahmed told reporters in Geneva. The special envoy said that both the government of Yemen, the Houthis and other relevant parties have committed to participate in the talks, which he will chair and will also include eight negotiators and four advisors for each delegation. The talks are also set to secure improvements in the humanitarian situation and a return to a peaceful and orderly political transition. He added that the aim is to develop a plan for the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, including a measure adopted in April 2015 which demanded that all parties, in particular the Houthis, immediately and unconditionally end violence and refrain from further unilateral actions that threatened the political transition. According to Cheikh Ahmed, implementing the relevant texts will bring the country back to a peaceful and orderly transition based on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative and the outcome of the National Dialogue Conference. The UN special envoy said he was “very optimistic” of the parties reaching a permanent ceasefire effective from December 15, "in order to create an environment conducive to peace talks, save lives and give hope to the Yemeni people.” AB/IINA