By Ahmad Shihadah
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
SA’NA, Yemen – Yemen’s president said Thursday the military will halt operations against northern rebels after reaching a cease-fire agreement that ends the country’s six-year conflict.
Ali Abdullah Saleh made the announcement on Thursday after reports that the Yemeni government and the group were close to reaching a deal to end six months of fighting. The truce was made possible after the group, belonging to the Zaidi Shia sect, accepted six conditions put forward by the government for the cessation of hostilities.
Yemen said last week it had handed the fighters a timetable for implementing the ceasefire terms, a week after rejecting a Houthi truce offer because it did not include a promise to end hostilities with neighboring Saudi Arabia.
The kingdom was drawn into the conflict in November when the group seized some Saudi territory, complaining that Riyadh was letting Yemeni troops use its land for attacks against them. Riyadh declared victory last month after the Houthis offered a separate truce and said they had withdrawn from Saudi territory.
The rebels announced a unilateral cease-fire with Saudi Arabia in late January. However, the Saudis responded cautiously to the rebel announcement, and demanded militants pullback from border positions and return five missing soldiers.
The Yemeni announcement comes after the rebels reportedly accepted several conditions, including a pledge not to attack Saudi Arabia, put forward by the government to end the hostilities. Houthi rebels from the minority Shia Zaidi sect based in the North-Western Sa’ada district have been battling the government since 2004.
The UN refugee agency says 250,000 Yemenis have been displaced by fighting in the region.
For information, please see:
Al-Jazeera – Yemen Announces Truce With Houthis – 11 February 2010
Fox News – Yemen Announces Truce With Rebels – 11 February 2010
BBC – Yemen Announces Truce With Northern Rebels – 11 February 2010
AFP – Yemen president declares ceasefire to war with Shiite rebels – 11 February 2010
