Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels negotiate an end to the war. This is also due to the rapprochement between rivals Riyadh and Tehran.
Sanaa/Cairo. Hopes have never been higher that the last chapter of Yemen’s nine-year war will finally be written. Because now two key warring factions, the Saudis and the Houthi rebels, are negotiating directly and seriously with each other. Until now, people sat at the table only reluctantly. This time, for the first time, the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, came directly to the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital Sanaa to negotiate with none other than the head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat. It may not have been the first of these encounters, but it was the first to be officially announced. This also goes hand in hand with the Saudi recognition of Houthi dominance in Sanaa.
An official meeting of this magnitude suggests that many of the issues have been resolved behind the scenes before. Until now, the Saudi side has been reluctant to make any public comment. But Mohammed al-Bukaiti, one of the Houthi political leaders, tweeted confidently: “Possibilities for achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace are being discussed.” It was a triumph for both sides. He urged everyone to “seize the moment of peaceful atmosphere and turn the page from the past”.