Ansarullah says ‘optimistic’ about Oman’s mediation in Yemen-Saudi peace talks
An Ansarullah member has praised Oman for efforts to close the gaps between the Yemeni resistance movement and Saudi Arabia, saying Sana’a is “optimistic” about the prospects of Muscat’s role to broker peace between the two sides to the eight-year conflict.
In posts on his Twitter account on Tuesday, Ali al-Qhoom, a member of Ansarullah’s political bureau, said that the Oman-mediated consultations with a Saudi delegation are going on swiftly.
“We are optimistic about the progress and success in the efforts made by the Sultanate of Oman,” he added, appreciating the visits by Saudi and Omani delegations to Sana’a and their engagement in constructive talks to restore peace and good neighborliness in Yemen.
Qhoom also noted that the Sana’a government’s door is open for peace and that its priorities include resolving humanitarian cases, halting the Saudi-led war, lifting a siege imposed by Riyadh, ending the foreign occupation of Yemen, releasing prisoners, and reconstructing the war-torn country.
The Omani team is making great endeavors to establish convergence between Sana’a and Riyadh and materialize the Yemenis’ aspiration for an end to the aggression and blockade as well as reparations and the expulsion of foreign mercenaries.
On Saturday, Saudi and Omani delegations arrived in the Yemeni capital, where they started talks with Ansarullah officials to reach a permanent ceasefire deal.
They met with the chairman of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, Mahdi Al-Mashat, who reiterated Ansarullah’s pursuit of an “honorable peace” along with the Yemenis’ “freedom and independence.”
Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with its Arab allies and with arms and logistics support from the US and other Western states, launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015.
The objective was to crush Ansarullah, which has been running state affairs in the absence of a functional government in Yemen and reinstall the Riyadh-friendly regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.
While the Saudi-led coalition has failed to achieve any of its objectives, the war has killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis and spawned the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
A UN-mediated ceasefire in Yemen broke down last October six months after it went into effect. Nevertheless, tensions have eased and casualties have decreased as important elements of the truce still remain in place.
