The United Nations has resumed its efforts to resolve the prisoner file, which has been pending since the signing of the Stockholm agreement with the Iran-backed Houthi militias in December 2018, Yemeni government sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday
Yemeni government and Houthi representatives resumed last Sunday UN-sponsored meetings in the Jordanian capital, Amman, with hopes to make progress in this issue, the sources said.
In line with the Sweden deal, the Houthis agreed with the legitimate government to swap prisoners as a confidence-building step.
But the arrangement has stalled with the government accusing the Houthis of hindering any comprehensive agreement on implementing the swap. Each side was meant to release around 7,000 prisoners.
The UN efforts resumed more than a week ago, when UN Secretary General Martin Griffiths traveled to Sanaa where he met with Houthi leaders. His visit coincided with the launch of medical flights from Sanaa that flew a number of patients to Amman.
The envoy then traveled to Riyadh where he met with government officials.
Last month, Griffiths called on all Yemeni parties to meet soon to discuss prisoner exchanges.
“I hope this step will lead to further initiatives that will facilitate the exchange of all the conflict-related detainees as per the Stockholm Agreement,” he said.
On Sunday, sources said Yemeni parliament Speaker Sultan al-Burakani demanded the UN peace mediator to quickly intervene to stop the Houthi atrocities in the country.
In a meeting with Griffiths, he cited the recent Houthi atrocities in Nihm, Marib and Al-Jawf, particularly the firing of ballistic missiles into the city of Marib and a deadly attack on a military camp's mosque where soldiers and civilians were worshipping.
Also on Sunday, Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hadrami met with the Ambassadors of the five permanent member states of the UN Security Council to Yemen.
The meeting discussed the Houthis’ military escalations in Al-Jawf, Nihm and Marib and also tackled the militias’ violations against international humanitarian and relief organizations.
