After 1-week hiatus, Yemen peace talks resume in Kuwait

By Zekeriya el-Kemali

SANAA (AA) - Talks between Yemen’s warring rivals resumed in Kuwait on Monday following a weeklong hiatus after negotiations were temporarily suspended last week.

In a statement Monday, the Yemeni government said its delegation had resumed participation in the talks based on instructions issued by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and international guarantees from the UN.

The talks are now expected to focus on issues such as a the withdrawal of the Shia Houthi militant group from major population centers and the laying down of its arms (based on UN Security Council Resolution 2216), along with calls to form a unity government and questions regarding Hadi’s presidential legitimacy.

Last Tuesday, the government delegation suspended its participation in talks until the Houthis and their allies complied with the terms of UNSC Resolution 2216.

Yemen has been racked by chaos since late 2014, when the Houthis -- along with forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Salah -- overran capital Sanaa and several other parts of the country.

The move forced Hadi and his Saudi-backed government to flee to Riyadh for a six-month period.

In March of last year, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a military campaign in Yemen aimed at reversing Houthi gains and restoring Hadi’s embattled government.

According to UN figures, the ongoing conflict has led to the death of some 6,400 Yemenis to date and forced some 2.5 million to flee their homes.

On April 11, UN-brokered peace talks kicked off in Kuwait City following the announcement of a cease-fire.

*Anadolu Agency correspondent Ahmet Sait Akcay contributed to this report from Ankara.