Efforts to bring Yemen’s warring factions together to discuss their conflict have made some progress, officials said on Monday, as warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition mounted more air strikes against the dominant Huthi group.
Neighbouring Oman is trying to end more than two months of fighting that has killed nearly 2,000 people by mediating talks between U.S. officials and representatives of the Huthi group.
Political sources in Oman, Yemen’s eastern neighbour, confirmed on Monday that diplomats were brokering the talks between Huthi and U.S. officials at a hotel in the capital Muscat aimed at finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Independent politicians in the Yemeni capital Sana’a said the talks have succeeded in narrowing gaps between the Huthis and the exiled government to pave the way for eventual United Nations-backed negotiations in Geneva.
“There’s progress in the talks toward an agreement on a long truce and reviving political dialogue,” one politician told Reuters.
Oman is the only member of the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council not taking part in the military campaign in Yemen, and has played a role as a peacemaker in the strife-torn region.
The United Nations envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has also achieved progress in efforts to convene talks in Geneva, Yemeni government spokesman Rajeh Badi said.
He said progress was made on “the date, agenda and framework for the Geneva talks and the parties that attend the meeting” and that a formal announcement was expected within hours.
