Warring parties in Yemen agree on long-delayed major prisoner swap
- According to the UN, it could be the ‘first official large-scale’ exchange of its kind since the beginning of the conflict in the Arab world’s poorest country
- Sunday’s statement came after seven days of meetings between the two sides in Jordan’s capital, Amman
Yemen’s warring sides have agreed to implement a long-delayed and major prisoner swap, the United Nations said on Sunday, in a sign that talks to end the disastrous war between the country’s internationally recognised government and its Houthi rebels could be making progress.
It would be the “first official large-scale” exchange of its kind since the beginning of the conflict in the Arab world’s poorest country, according to the UN.
The prisoner swap deal was seen as a breakthrough during 2018 peace talks in Sweden. The Houthis and the internationally recognised government agreed then to several confidence-building measures, including a ceasefire in the strategic port city of Hodeida.
Implementation of the tentative peace plan stumbled amid ongoing military offensives and a deep-seated distrust between the two sides.
The conflict also has been a theatre for the regional rivalry between Iran, which backs the Houthi rebels, and Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition supporting the internationally recognised Yemeni government.
