DUBAI: Yemen’s warring parties have committed to a new ceasefire and agreed to engage in a UN-led peace process to end the war, the UN envoy for Yemen said on Saturday.

The announcement by UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, marks the latest step to end the deadly nine-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

It follows recent meetings by Grundberg in Saudi Arabia and Oman with Rashad Al Alimi, head of Yemen’s Saudi-backed presidential council and Mohammed Abdul Salam, the chief negotiator for Houthi rebels.

Grundberg said he “welcomes the parties’ commitment to a set of measures to implement a nation-wide ceasefire... and (to) engage in preparations for the resumption of an inclusive political process”, according to a statement by his office.

The envoy “will now engage with the parties to establish a road map under UN auspices that includes these commitments and supports their implementation”, the statement added.

Yemen has been gripped by conflict since Houthi rebels took control of the capital Sanaa in 2014, triggering a Saudi-led military intervention in support of the beleaguered government the following year.

A UN-brokered ceasefire, which took effect in April last year, brought a sharp reduction in hostilities. The truce expired in October last year, though fighting largely remains on hold.

Grundberg will now “engage with the parties to establish a roadmap under UN auspices” that includes these commitments.

It includes commitments to pay civil servants’ salaries, open routes into the rebel-blockaded city of Taez and other parts of Yemen and resume oil exports, according to the statement.

“Yemenis are watching and waiting for this new opportunity to provide for tangible results and progress towards lasting peace,” Grundberg said.

“The parties have taken a significant step. Their commitments are, first and foremost, an obligation to the Yemeni people.”

Red Sea attacks

The agreement comes amid a flurry of attacks by the Houthi rebels on key shipping lanes in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The Houthis have pledged to attack Israel-linked vessels or ships heading to Israeli ports unless an end is brought to Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

They have launched more than 100 drone and missile attacks, targeting 10 merchant vessels involving more than 35 different countries, according to the Pentagon.

The attacks by the rebels are imperilling a transit route that carries up to 12 per cent of global trade, prompting the United States to set up a multinational naval task force to protect Red Sea shipping.

The Houthi “military actions hinder progress towards a peaceful resolution”, Mohammed Albasha, a senior Middle East analyst for the US-based Navanti Group, said.

“The Houthis have transitioned... to becoming aggressors targeting civilian assets,” he said.

Saudi factor

The latest agreement also coincides with a push by Saudi Arabia to extricate itself from the conflict, despite slim hopes of a lasting peace.

The Saudis gave a signal this year by resuming ties with Iran, which backs the Houthis against the Saudi-supported government in a proxy war.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2023