The Saudi Arabia-led military coalition active in Yemen has announced a ceasefire for the Islamic fasting month, Ramadan. “The coalition announces the cessation of military operations in Yemen from Wednesday morning at 6 am,” the coalition said on Tuesday, according to the Saudi Arabian press agency.
The ceasefire “coincides with the start of Yemeni-Yemeni consultations”. It is about creating “the right conditions” for the “success” of the negotiations and “creating a positive environment for peace in Yemen during the holy month of Ramadan,” she said.
However, the Houthi rebels declined to attend the meeting in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh – which they saw as enemy territory – on Wednesday. Representatives of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, the US and the UN are gathered there.
Houthi rebels attacked Saudi targets
The Houthis initially declared a three-day ceasefire over the weekend and offered a “permanent” ceasefire. “We are ready to turn this declaration (of the three-day ceasefire) into a final and lasting commitment,” said rebel leader Mahdi al-Mashat. Saudi Arabia must “end the siege and end its attacks on Yemen once and for all”.
The rebels had already attacked several targets in Saudi Arabia, including an oil facility near the Formula 1 track in Jeddah. Despite the ceasefire declared by the Houthis, the coalition launched airstrikes in Yemen on Sunday.
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On Sunday, the rebels also announced an agreement for a major prisoner exchange. The government said the exchange was “under consideration”.
Yemen has been at war since 2015 between President Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi’s troops, backed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab states, and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. According to the UN, around 380,000 people have already been killed in the conflict and millions more have had to flee.