Yemen government welcomes UN road map to end war

Yemen's internationally recognised government has welcomed UN-led efforts to end the country's civil war after the warring parties committed to take steps towards a ceasefire.

The Arabian Peninsula's poorest country has been gripped by conflict since the Houthis overran Sanaa in 2014, triggering a Saudi-led military intervention in support of the government the following year.

A UN-brokered ceasefire brought a sharp reduction in hostilities in April 2022. The truce expired in October last year, though fighting largely remains on hold.

On Saturday, the UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said the two sides had committed to a new ceasefire and to engage in a UN-led peace process.

The Yemeni government said later it "welcomed the statement issued by the Special Envoy... regarding the efforts made to reach a roadmap under the auspices of the United Nations to end the war."

The government, in a statement released late Saturday, also "expressed its thanks" to Saudi Arabia and Oman for their efforts to advance the peace process.

Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, said the United Nations would play the leading role in the process.

Its announcement "frames the progress made in negotiations over the past months", he told French news agency AFP.

Yemen warring parties agree to implement new ceasefire: UN@UN special envoy Hans Grundberg's office said he 'welcomes the parties' commitment to a set of measures to implement a nation-wide ceasefire' 👇https://t.co/4eYdJgLDsH

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) December 24, 2023

It signals that the "UN now leads the negotiations, with the Saudis stepping back and allowing the UN to handle future political deals", he said.

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry has since welcomed the UN's roadmap to peace, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Sunday.

"The ministry reiterates the Kingdom's continued support for Yemen and its brotherly people, and its constant keenness to encourage the Yemeni parties to sit at the dialogue table," SPA added. 

Saudi Arabia is pushing to extricate itself from the conflict, despite slim hopes of a lasting peace.

Many analysts are pessimistic that Riyadh's plans for a downsized military role will bring peace to Yemen, which remains deeply fractured along religious, regional and political lines.