Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Yemen's peace talks collapsing

Yemen's foreign minister has declared peace talks with Shi'ite rebels as a waste of time, because opposition forces refuse to accept the president.

Houthis supporters.
File image of Yemen Houthi supporters Source: AAP

The Yemeni foreign minister has announced the suspension of peace talks in Kuwait with Shi'ite rebels after weeks of no progress.

Abdul-Malik al-Mekhlafi said in a televised press conference on Tuesday that the rebels refuse to accept the legitimacy of the country's internationally-recognised president.

The rebels, known as Houthis, are pushing for the formation of a new government that would give them a share of power al-Mekhlafi said.

"The talks are a waste of time and only used to amass forces of the militias," he said.

The Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014, forcing President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to eventually escape to Saudi Arabia.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition launched an extensive air campaign and eventual ground invasion to retake cities under Houthis control in southern Yemen.

However the campaign has failed to force them out of the capital and northern region, which is the rebels' stronghold.

Yemen, which is the Arab world's poorest nation, is also on "the verge of the bankruptcy," said al-Mekhlafi, adding that the country's foreign reserves are depleted.

The peace talks are aimed at ending the conflict based on a UN Security Council resolution, which states that militias must withdraw from all cities, hand over weapons, and release political detainees.

Al-Mekhlafi accused the Houthis of forcing a new proposal for a power-sharing deal instead of abiding by the resolution.

He also said that rebels have been violating the truce announced by the UN on April 10.

Since it went into effect, the two sides have exchanged accusations of breaching the ceasefire.

He accused the rebels of using the talks to buy time in order to rearrange their forces and seize more weapons.

Houthi officials dismissed al-Mekhlafi's accusations.

"Hadi is responsible for the assault on Yemen," said a group spokesman Abdel-Rahman al-Ahnomi.

"He has no legitimacy."

Al-Mekhlafi said that the delegates are not leaving Kuwait and urged the international community to play a role getting the talks back on track.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world