UN envoy arrives in Yemen capital in his first trip after ceasefire

Hans Grundberg is scheduled to meet Houthi rebel officials during his first Sanaa visit since taking office in September.

The two-month ceasefire declared at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan has largely held.
AFP

The two-month ceasefire declared at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan has largely held.

UN special envoy Hans Grundberg has started his first visit to Yemen's rebel-held capital, following an April 2 ceasefire that the country's warring parties have accused each other of violating.

"He is looking forward to engaging with Ansar Allah (Houthi) leadership on implementing and strengthening the truce and discussing the way forward," Grundberg's office said in a tweet announcing his arrival on Monday.

The Swedish diplomat is scheduled to meet Houthi rebel officials during his first Sanaa visit since taking office in September.

The two-month ceasefire declared at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan has largely held.

READ MORE: Yemen's warring parties agree to two-month ceasefire: UN

"Since the start of the truce, we have seen a significant reduction of violence," Grundberg told a virtual press conference last week.

Blame game

However, both sides have traded blame over violations, with the government accusing the rebels of military deployments and drone attacks while the insurgents say they "repelled an advance" by loyalists.

A Yemeni military source also told AFP news agency on Friday that loyalist forces had "repelled a Houthi attack" in southern Marib, the government's last stronghold in the north of the country.

Grundberg has urged all parties to exercise "restraint", tweeting that he was "following very closely the latest developments in Marib".

On Thursday, Yemen's Riyadh-based President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi announced he was handing over his powers to a new leadership council tasked with reaching a "final political solution" with the Houthis.

READ MORE: Yemen's Houthis agree to UN proposal to deal with decaying oil tanker

The current, renewable truce called for a halt to all ground, air and sea military operations. Two commercial flights a week can resume in and out of Sanaa, and 18 fuel ships are allowed into the Houthi-held lifeline port of Hodeida.

The Iran-backed Houthi insurgents took control of Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition's military intervention the following year. The conflict has led to what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Yemen's brutal war has killed hundreds of thousands directly and indirectly and left millions on the brink of famine in what has long been the Arab world's poorest country.

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