Houthis and Yemeni Government Agree on Truce Before Next Round of Talks

Yemeni rebels Houthis and the country’s government agreed on a truce for one or two weeks before the next round of talks, scheduled for April, media reports.

UN special envoy on Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed arrived in the rebel capital of Sanaa to discuss preparations for a new round of inter-Yemeni negotiations on Saturday. Earlier the parties tried to start a peace process in December in Geneva.

?The Special Envoy said earlier that the date of a new round should be set before the end of March. Last time the parties tried to initiate a peace process in December in Geneva.

Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government headed by Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Shiite Houthi rebels, who have been supported by army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Since late March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against Houthi positions at Hadi's request.