Saudi officials announce Yemen cease-fire amid pandemic

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen announced on Wednesday that its forces would begin a cease-fire on Thursday, a step that could pave the way for the first direct peace talks between the two sides that have been at war for more than five years.

In a statement carried by Saudi Arabia's official state news agency, a Saudi military spokesman, Col. Turki al-Malki, said that the ceasefire would last two weeks and that it comes in response to UN calls to halt hostilities amid the coronavirus pandemic. He said the ceasefire could be extended to pave the way for all the parties "to discuss proposals, steps, and mechanisms for sustainable ceasefire in Yemen ... for a comprehensive political solution in Yemen.''

There was no immediate reaction from Houthi leaders or Yemen's internationally recognised government to the coalition's statement.

Within hours of the announcement, residents in the contested Yemeni province Marib said a suspected Houthi missile struck a security building in the city centre. There was no immediate claim of responsibility or reports of casualties. A Yemeni presidential adviser, Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi, blamed the Houthis, saying on Twitter that the attack shows the rebels "are fuelling war not peace.''

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called for a cease-fire in all global conflicts on 23 March to tackle the virus and specifically called two days later for a cessation in Yemen, welcomed the announcement, saying: "This can help to advance efforts towards peace as well as the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.''

He urged Yemen's government, which is backed by the Saudi-led coalition, and the Houthis "to follow through on their commitment to immediately cease hostilities'' in response to his 25 March plea and to engage with each other without preconditions in negotiations facilitated by the UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths.

"Only through dialogue will the parties be able to agree on a mechanism for sustaining a nation-wide ceasefire, humanitarian and economic confidence-building measures to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, and the resumption of the political process to reach a comprehensive settlement to end the conflict,'' Guterres said in a statement. (AP)