Houthis agree to UN-sponsored talks

The leader of the Houthis, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, has announced his group supports the resumption of the Yemen talks sponsored by the UN.

Houthi said: "There is only one solution to the political problem in Yemen, which is to go to UN-sponsored talks in a neutral country." The statement was a clear indication of support for the talks called for by the UN, scheduled to be held in Geneva on 28 May.

Houthi's comments were made during a televised address broadcast on his group's al-Masirah TV on Wednesday evening, days after it was rumoured Houthi was injured or killed by one of the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes.

During his address, Houthi criticised the countries taking part in the Saudi-led coalition, specifically Saudi Arabia, and said the "aggression" had not achieved its goals or made any gains but has instead resulted in the opposite of what was intended.

Houthi accused the Saudi-led coalition of targeting the Yemeni army and called for the army to recruit new members and build new army bases and camps. He also attacked the participants in the Riyadh conferences, accusing them of representing the will of Saudi Arabia.

During a meeting with Sudanese President al-Bashir in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Hadi stated that "the national dialogue, the Gulf initiative and the Riyadh conference are the only solutions that ensure Yemen continues to exist."

Rajeh Badi, the spokesman for the Yemeni government, said the Houthi militias and Saleh's soldiers should be withdrawn from Aden and the other provinces of Yemen, and humanitarian aid should be allowed into all areas of the country.

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.