WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st October, 2018) The United Nations is awaiting an answer from Yemen's Houthi rebels and government supporters, as well as the Saudi-led coalition acting militarily in the country, on whether to attend proposed negotiations in Sweden within the next 30 days to end Yemen's civil war, UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters on Wednesday.
"I think it's still early to say whether we have a definitive yes," Haq stated. "[UN Envoy Martin] Griffiths is hoping to be able to announce a round of talks as soon as he can, but we're not at that stage just yet."
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis called for an immediate cease fire in Yemen's 3-year-old civil war and for peace talks to begin in Sweden within a month.
UN-mediated talks scheduled for early September in Geneva collapsed when Houthi representatives refused to attending, claiming that the Saudi-led coalition refused to guarantee their safety. The coalition claims the Houthis were given a green light to leave, but failed to use the opportunity.
The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out military operations in Yemen in support of the country's government, which lost control of the capital of Sanaa and much of Western Yemen to Houthi rebels in 2015.
Both sides have been accused of war crimes and a recent UN report cited Saudi-led air strikes as the Primary cause of more than 16,000 civilian deaths in three years of fighting.
