Ismail Ahmed, United Nations Yemen Envoy, said that the government delegation’s departure from Kuwait was “not a departure from the peace talks.”
He said on Tuesday in New York that Yemeni government delegation only left peace talks the venue after informing the UN of its approval of the draft peace agreement brokered by the UN to solve the Yemeni conflict.
The agreement is aimed at ending a civil war between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels and their allies, who control the capital Sana’a.
Ahmed said that the talks would continue until the parties agree on the next steps in the coming days.
The envoy said that he would hold “intensive meetings” with the Houthi delegation in the meantime.
Meanwhile, Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi, Yemeni Foreign Minister, who leads the government’s team at the Kuwait talks, promised before leaving that his delegation would return once the other parties have also agreed to the draft proposal.
“The Houthis and their allies want to legitimise the coup, when the putschists are ready to sign the agreement we will attend at once.
“There is no point talking about any amendments or retreat on the agreement that we have signed,” he said.
He added that the government won’t agree to anything without the removal of weapons and the withdrawal of militias from cities.
On Monday, the capital Sana’a saw a large demonstration in favour of a new ruling Presidential Council announced by the Houthis and their allies last week.
The formation of the council had been condemned by the Envoy as a unilateral action that threatened progress in the Kuwait talks.
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