Yemen warring parties agree on ceasefire starting Apr 10

PanARMENIAN.Net - Yemen's warring parties have agreed on a ceasefire from April 10 followed by peace talks, a UN envoy said Wednesday, March 23, raising hopes of a breakthrough in a conflict that has devastated the country, AFP reports.

"The parties to the conflict have agreed to a nationwide cessation of hostilities beginning April 10 at midnight in advance of the upcoming round of the peace talks, which will take place on April 18 in Kuwait," UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told a news conference in New York.

More than 6,300 people have been killed in Yemen since a Saudi-led coalition -- which includes Kuwait -- began an air war in March last year to push back the Huthi offensive.

Previous UN-sponsored negotiations between the Huthis and government officials failed to reach a breakthrough, while a ceasefire went into force on December 15 but it was repeatedly violated and the Saudi-led coalition announced an end to the truce on January 2.

"The aim is to reach an agreement which will end the conflict and allow the resumption of an inclusive political dialogue," Cheikh Ahmed said Wednesday, telling reporters that he had held intense discussions with both the government and the rebels.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216 calls for the rebels to withdraw from seized territories and disarm.