Yemen Postpones Prisoners' Exchange Deal 3 Days
Arab World
Aden -Ali Rabih
The legitimate Yemeni government and the Houthi group announced they would postpone the prisoner exchange deal agreed upon in Switzerland for three days. The exchange was supposed to take place on April 11. The delay came amid international and regional efforts to agree to extend and expand the Yemeni ceasefire, with a road map to end the conflict in its ninth year since the Houthi coup against the legitimate government and national consensus. Houthi spokesman, Mohammed Abdulsalam, stated that he had arrived with an Omani delegation to Sanaa as part of Muscat's efforts to persuade the group's leaders to agree to the plan to extend the truce and expand it. The head of the Yemeni negotiating delegation, Yahya Kazman, asserted that the government was ready to implement the prisoner exchange agreement with the Houthis. According to the Arab News Agency, Kazman stated Saturday that the government was ready to conduct the exchange deal at the predetermined time, and there were no obstacles on its side. For his part, a member of the government's negotiating team, Majed Fadael, explained that the delay was that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had yet to complete its visits to all the prisoners who will be released. Fadael tweeted that the Red Cross asked for three additional days to complete the interviews and procedures and that some arrangements still need to be completed. The Houthi prisoners' official claimed that government obstacles delayed the deal and confirmed that the Red Cross informed his group about the delay. Last month, negotiators of the Yemeni government and the Houthi militias completed an agreement in Switzerland to exchange 887 civilians and military prisoners and detainees after a ten-day round of negotiations under UN auspices and with the participation of the Red Cross. The Yemeni government welcomed the agreement, and its representatives stated that the exchange deal would be implemented within three weeks, followed by other negotiations to release all the prisoners and detainees. The deal included 181 people for the government and the coalition supporting it, and 706 members of the Houthi militia, most of whom were captured on the battle fronts. Under the deal, two prisoners included in Security Council Resolution 2016 will be released: the former Defense Minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi and Nasser Mansour Hadi, brother of former President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Meanwhile, the head of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, affirmed that the council adheres to the legitimate goals and aspirations of the Yemenis to end human suffering and restore state institutions. Alimi, speaking to Yemenis on Friday's first anniversary of the council's creation, said the Presidential Council was put through rigorous tests for an entire year. The council is "more coherent and adheres to its people's legitimate goals and aspirations in building an inclusive civil state based on justice, equality, respect for human rights, public freedoms, ensuring women's participation, and good neighborliness." The leader indicated that the council he leads made concessions and initiatives over the past year to set a unique example of siding with people's interests and alleviating their suffering, including opening the port of Hodeidah, expanding travel destinations from Sanaa airport, and pledging to pay wages of public workers throughout the country.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4262266/yemen-postpones-prisoners-exchange-deal-3-days
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