Intra-Yemeni consultations began on Wednesday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, without the participation of Yemen's top three officials and the rival Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis
DOHA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2022) Intra-Yemeni consultations began on Wednesday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, without the participation of Yemen's top three officials and the rival Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis.
The opening ceremony of the talks, which will last until April 7, was broadcast by the Al-Arabiya tv channel.
The talks are being held under the auspices of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC). GCC Secretary General Nayef Al-Hajraf described the event as "historic."
Before the start of the talks, the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which is fighting in Yemen on the side of the internationally recognized government, declared a ceasefire in order to facilitate the success of the consultations.
The Houthis have refused to attend the talks in Saudi Arabia, which they considered a party to the conflict. Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi, Vice President Ali Mohsen Saleh and Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalek did not show up at the opening ceremony either.
The talks will touch upon the political, military and humanitarian issues, as well as the opening of humanitarian corridors in northern Yemen.
Yemen has been gripped by a conflict between the government forces and the Houthis since 2014. Since 2015, the Saudi-led coalition fighting on the Yemeni government's side has been conducting air, land and sea operations against the rebels. The coalition has been criticized by the United Nations and human rights groups for the bombings that have led to civilian deaths.
