Arab Coalition Says Committed to Ceasefire in Yemen

The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen declared on Thursday that it was committed to ending military operations within Yemen in response to a request from the Gulf Cooperation Council secretary-general, according to the Coalition.

The GCC Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs and Negotiations, Abdulaziz Hamad al-Owaishek, also stated that the invitation issued to Yemen's Houthi militia remained on the table.

He told reporters, "We hope the meetings provide an opportunity to reach peace in Yemen."

The coalition stated its air forces had not conducted combat operations inside Yemen and that it was taking all necessary steps to ensure a successful end to military operations and the establishment of a comprehensive peace.

Richard Oppenheim, the UK ambassador to Yemen, welcomed the GCC-led negotiations and urged Yemeni parties to take the opportunity for peace.

Meanwhile, Maeen Abdulmalik, Yemen's prime minister, met with Hans Grundberg, the UN secretary general's special envoy to Yemen, to discuss the UN's plan to ease people's suffering and restart the political process of building peace.

The two parties' conversation also touched on issues raised at the Riyadh talks on Yemen's war.

Abdulmalik reaffirmed the government's complete support for UN envoy Martin Griffiths' efforts to de-escalate the situation in Yemen.

He claimed that the administration had never supported the country's obstruction of peace, but had instead advocated for all peace initiatives and attempts.

"The problem is that the Houthi militia has never desired peace and has continued to reject all requests for dialogue, including the GCC's demand for Riyadh consultations," stated the prime minister. "They even refuse to receive the UN's ambassador in Sanaa."

Since Muslims all over the world will soon start observing Ramadan, Grundberg emphasised the urgency of resuming peace talks in order to find answers to the economic challenges that Yemenis confront on a daily basis.