Yemen prisoner swap talks end without full deal

YEMEN:

The latest round of prisoner exchange negotiations between Yemen’s government and the Houthi group ended Saturday in Muscat, Oman, without a comprehensive agreement, according to officials from both sides.

The seven-day talks were held under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), aimed at addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis surrounding detainees in the conflict-torn nation.

Majid Fadail, the official spokesman for the Yemeni government delegation, told the state-run Saba news agency that while no final agreement had been reached, the talks had “achieved some important breakthroughs on the issue of abductees and forcibly disappeared”.

The Houthi delegation, led by Abdul-Qadir Murtada, confirmed that some points of agreement had been reached, including the resolution of the case of Mohamed Qahtan, a Yemeni pro-government politician who has been held by the Houthis for nine years. Murtada also noted that both sides agreed to exchange some prisoner lists.

Both sides have expressed their commitment to continuing the dialogue, with the next round of talks scheduled to take place after a two-month preparatory period. During this period, the parties are expected to focus on completing and approving the prisoner lists, laying the groundwork for potential breakthroughs in future negotiations.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg announced on Wednesday that negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group have made significant progress on the release of conflict-related prisoners, including a prominent Yemeni politician.

The current round follows a series of UN-sponsored talks between the Yemeni government and the Houthis over the years. The most recent talks, held in Amman in June 2023, ended without an agreement.

However, a previous round in Switzerland in March 2023 led to a successful prisoner exchange in April 2023, resulting in the release of more than 800 prisoners and detainees from both Yemeni warring sides.