Two sources involved in the negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi group revealed to Reuters that a Saudi-Omani delegation plans to travel to the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, next week to reach a permanent ceasefire agreement with Houthi officials and end the ongoing conflict in the country that has lasted for eight years. The sources stated that if an agreement is reached, the warring parties in Yemen might announce it before the Eid al-Fitr holiday starting April 20.
The internationally recognized Yemeni authorities announced that the Saudi-led military coalition has lifted an eight-year blockade on imports heading to ports in the south of the country, indicating that peace talks are progressing with the Houthis in the north. The Saudi-backed government announced in a statement late Thursday that southern ports, including Aden, would receive all commercial ships directly, ensuring the entry of all types of goods through the ports except for those legally prohibited.
Abdul Baqir Ba'obad, Vice President of the General Federation of Yemeni Chambers of Commerce, explained to Reuters that for the first time since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, ships would no longer have to stop at the Saudi port of Jeddah on the Red Sea for security inspections. Ba'obad pointed out that over 500 types of goods would be allowed back into Yemen through southern ports, including fertilizers and batteries, after being removed from the list of prohibited products.
This comes following the easing of restrictions in February on the entry of commercial goods into the Houthi-controlled port of Al-Hudaydah in western Yemen, which is the country’s main seaport. The warring parties are seeking to reinstate a UN-mediated truce agreement that has expired.
The movements to increase the flow of goods into ports across the country seem to indicate progress in the direct talks between Saudi Arabia and the Iranian-aligned Houthi group, occurring alongside UN-led peace efforts. Sources told Reuters that the discussions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis focus on the full reopening of ports controlled by the Houthis and Sana'a Airport, paying public sector salaries, and establishing a timeline for the withdrawal of non-Yemeni forces from the country.
Since 2015, the Saudi-led coalition has imposed strict controls on the flow of goods into import-dependent Yemen. The war has severely devastated the country's economy and led to what the United Nations describes as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
