Yemeni Conflict Parties Agree To Set Up Committees For Missing, Dead Prisoners - Official

Representatives of the Yemeni government and the Houthi movement agreed to set up committees for the missing and dead prisoners at a meeting in Amman, the capital of Jordan, Murad Qassem, deputy chairman of the Yemeni National Committee for Prisoners, told Sputnik in an interview

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th January, 2019) Representatives of the Yemeni government and the Houthi movement agreed to set up committees for the missing and dead prisoners at a meeting in Amman, the capital of Jordan, Murad Qassem, deputy chairman of the Yemeni National Committee for Prisoners, told Sputnik in an interview.

The parties to the Yemeni conflict resumed meetings under the auspices of the United Nations on Thursday to discuss the exchange of prisoners, agreed during consultations in Sweden.

"Among the results of the talks, which will be announced today, is an agreement on the creation of a committee on missing persons and a committee on dead prisoners, a revision of the lists [of prisoners], and a response to the comments," Qassem said.

He also also noted that there were disagreements, since the Houthis had not fully disclosed information about the prisoners supporting the government.

"Other meetings will be held, bilateral meetings will take place today, others will also be held in 13 days.

The UN is engaged in choosing a venue for them," Qassem added.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths told Sputnik on January 11 that he hoped to see a new round of peace consultations in February, with a few options where the talks could be held still up for consideration.

Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels for several years. The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015.

The last round of peace consultations in Sweden in mid-December resulted in the signing of the Stockholm agreement by the government of Yemen and the Houthi rebels. The agreement set out measures for prisoner exchanges, on a ceasefire in Al Hudaydah port, and other humanitarian initiatives.