MARIB (Yemen) , April 11: Loyalist and rebel forces in Yemen’s conflict pledged to honour a UN-brokered ceasefire that took effect at midnight, adding to cautious optimism ahead of new talks to reach a lasting peace deal.
The chief of staff of forces behind President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said “the ceasefire has taken effect” despite deadly clashes in regions around Sanaa in the lead up to the deadline at 2100 GMT on Sunday.
The conflict has killed thousands, displaced 2.4 million and drawn in neighbours, but there are renewed hopes the latest truce can form the cornerstone of a long-lasting peace deal that can be hammered out from April 18 in Kuwait.
General Mohamed Ali al-Makdashi said “we are going to respect it… unless the Huthi rebels violate it”.
Three earlier attempts at ceasefires collapsed after a Saudi-led coalition in March last year began air strikes to support the Hadi government and push back the Shia Huthis who overran the capital in September 2014 before advancing to other regions.
Chaos and misery have ruled since, and militants including the feared Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have taken advantage to seize territory and influence, adding impetus to the international peace efforts.
The Iran-backed Huthis, along with allied troops loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, sent the United Nations a letter committing to “cease land, sea and air military operations” throughout Yemen, according to a statement carried by the rebel-run Saba news agency.
Foreign Minister Abdel Malek al-Mekhlafi said Hadi’s government had also given “guarantees to the UN that it will maintain the truce”.
UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed welcomed the ceasefire and called on all parties to respect it.- AFP