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News > World

Yemen Warring Sides Agree to Move Away From Hodeidah

  • Yemeni soldiers guard during the meeting of the national assembly of Yemen's separatist Southern Transitional Council in Mukalla, Yemen February 16, 2019.

    Yemeni soldiers guard during the meeting of the national assembly of Yemen's separatist Southern Transitional Council in Mukalla, Yemen February 16, 2019. | Photo: REUTERS/Fawaz Salman

Published 18 February 2019
Opinion

The United Nations have described the agreement between Yemen's warring sides, to "pullback forces from Hodeidah" as, "important progress."

Yemen's warring sides have agreed on the first phase of a pullback of forces from the key city of Hodeidah, in a deal the United Nations has described as "important progress."

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African publication GhanaGuardian stated that the talks were led by Danish General Michael Lollesgaard as chair of a redeployment coordination committee (RCC) that includes the Saudi-backed forces and the Houthis.

Al Jazeera claimed "the redeployment of forces is a critical part of the truce deal reached during UN-mediated peace talks in Sweden in December between representatives from the Houthi Ansarullah movement and the Riyadh-sponsored government of ex-president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi."

Hodeidah is located on Yemen's western coast and provides access to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait - the fourth busiest waterway in the world. 

It has been in Houthi hands since 2014, when the armed group staged a takeover of large parts of Yemen.

In what the UN called "the world's worst humanitarian crisis," after the military      intervention of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and their respective allies on behalf of the embattled government, "the government and Houthis finalized a deal on the first phase of the pullback and also agreed in principle on the second phase," a UN statement said on Saturday. This followed two days of talks in Hodeidah.

"After lengthy but constructive discussions facilitated by the RCC Chair, the parties reached an agreement on Phase 1 of the mutual redeployment of forces," the UN statement said.

The sides made "important progress on planning for the redeployment of forces" but no date was given to begin the demilitarisation.

"The parties also agreed, in principle, on Phase 2 of the mutual redeployment, pending additional consultations within their respective leadership."

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