Yemen’s government and rebels released a new batch of detainees on Sunday, April 16, including a woman, on the final day of a major prisoner exchange amid talks aimed at ending more than eight years of war.
Five planes carrying about 200 prisoners from both sides linked the capital, Sanaa, which has been in the hands of the militants since 2014, to Marib, the last stronghold of power in the north of the country.
sequel after announcement
This brings the number of prisoners released over three days to 869 under an agreement struck in March in Switzerland between the government backed by a Saudi-led military coalition and the pro-Iranian Houthi rebels, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. (International Committee of the Red Cross).
Say Uncle Oops… Why don’t we ever talk about the war in Yemen?
Among them is only one woman, Samira Marsh, who was arrested five years ago by forces loyal to her and accused of organizing explosive attacks that left dozens dead, according to a government official who requested anonymity.
“She was released in exchange for the release of journalists detained by the Houthis”Majeed Fadil, spokesman for the government delegation tasked with negotiating the exchange, told AFP.
The largest turnover since 2020
At Marib airport, former detainees boarded ICRC planes, some in wheelchairs, loaded with sacks of provisions for the Ramadan iftar, while in Sanaa, Houthi fighters performed a traditional dance to welcome their comrades.
sequel after announcement
The operation began on Friday with the release of 318 prisoners, including the former defense minister and brother of the former Yemeni president.
On Saturday, nearly 350 rebels returned to Sanaa from Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni city of Mocha, while 16 Saudis and three Sudanese nationals of coalition member states arrived in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The past three days have brought joy to many families torn apart by conflict. We hope for more releases in the near future.”Jessica Musan, head of media relations for the International Committee of the Red Cross, told AFP.
This exchange, the largest since the release of more than 1,000 prisoners in October 2020, comes against a backdrop of growing hopes for peace in this conflict that has plunged the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
sequel after announcement
Hundreds of thousands dead
The war in Yemen has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced, according to the United Nations, in the context of epidemics, lack of drinking water and acute hunger.
The UN-brokered six-month truce was not renewed when it expired in October, but the situation has remained calm on the ground, providing a respite for residents.
Last week, a Saudi delegation, accompanied by Omani mediators, traveled to Sanaa for talks aimed at reviving the truce and laying the groundwork for a more permanent ceasefire.
discussions were “positive” The head of the Houthi Political Council, Mahdi Al-Mashat, said today, Saturday, that new talks are scheduled after Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Muslim fasting in a few days.
sequel after announcement
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said earlier that the talks “It will continue as soon as possible in order to reach a comprehensive political solution.”.
Hopes for peace have revived in this poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula, after the unexpected rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which announced in March its intention to restore diplomatic relations after seven years.
