Yemen govt seeks rebel withdrawal before any transition
AFP
AFP, KUWAIT CITY: The Yemeni government said Thursday that Shiite rebels must withdraw from all territory they have seized since 2014 and hand back control of state institutions ahead of any political settlement.
The statement from the government delegation to peace talks in Kuwait is a new blow to proposals put forward by UN mediators in an effort to close the gap between the warring parties.
On Wednesday, the rebel delegation said it would not sign up to any deal on military and security issues until there was agreement on a consensus president and a national unity government to oversee the transition.
The peace roadmap put forward by UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed proposed the formation of a unity government in tandem with the withdrawal and disarmament of the rebels, although he acknowledged major differences between the two sides on their sequencing.
The government delegation said nothing has been agreed in two months of negotiations in Kuwait.
