Muscat draft amended in Sana'a: What happened to the "final touches" agreement?
English - Tuesday 18 April 2023 الساعة 01:51 pm
Sana'a, NewsYemen, exclusive:
After the Saudi and Omani delegations left Sana'a on April 13, the next day, the first stages of the exchange of prisoners and detainees began between the Houthis on the one hand and the internationally recognized government and the rest of the warring parties with them on the other.
All Yemenis, who were optimistic about the imminence of peace in their lives, after statements that the Sana'a talks would be devoted only to putting the "final touches" on the draft Muscat agreement, went out to celebrate the release of prisoners and detainees who had spent years of varying length and intensity in prisons, which constituted the most prominent event in the war file. The circle in the country since the Houthi coup against the legitimate authority and the overthrow of state institutions in September 2014.
The release of the 887 prisoners and detainees during the past three days was among the understandings between the Saudi-Houthi sides in Riyadh and Muscat since the end of last year and the beginning of this year. It is assumed that this event is one of the episodes in a series of exchange deals for prisoners and detainees, which are deals supported by the United Nations that facilitated the recent round of negotiations in Switzerland between the Houthis and the legitimate government, after which the two sides signed the exchange agreement on March 20. It is also expected that the two parties will resume exchange negotiations in mid-May 2023. According to a government statement and Houthi media, which quoted the head of the group's prisoners' committee, Abdul Qadir al-Murtada, that the upcoming exchange deal will include 1,400 prisoners and detainees.
In the midst of the celebration of the release of prisoners and detainees, the popular, and media attention to some extent, diverted away from the main negotiations that include the military, political and economic aspects, as the three most important aspects that peace depends on the agreement of all parties.
According to the statements of the two parties (Houthis and Saudi Arabia), multi-track negotiations are likely to resume after the end of the blessed month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. However, the hopes for the "final touches" remained unconfirmed, and the statements made by the officials of the two parties did not include any new details about the talks, which lasted a whole week. What happened in the talks, which were described as transparent and positive?
On the second day of the exchange of prisoners and detainees, the Chinese Xinhua correspondent, Fares Al-Hamiri, wrote a long tweet, based on what he called "multiple sources", entitled "Changes in the proposed solution map that go beyond the armistice and the idea of a transitional period." He mentioned a number of points in the draft of the Muscat discussions, which were amended in the Sana'a talks, including the following:
- That the cessation of war be declared instead of the armistice specified for six months.
- Instead of the transitional period specified in two years, the changes to the draft included a chronic roadmap for implementation in the humanitarian and economic aspects, and other key points leading to a comprehensive political solution.
Al-Hamiri said, "In the Muscat negotiations during the past months between the Saudi side and the Houthis, advanced understandings were reached. Accordingly, the visit of the Saudi and Omani delegations to Sana'a was arranged to finalize the understandings," which Saudi Arabia presented before the Sana'a talks to the Presidential Leadership Council and the government, and approval was expressed. them initially.
The Muscat draft before the Sanaa talks included a truce for a period of 6 months with military, economic and humanitarian provisions, followed by a transitional phase of two years to conduct political negotiations that pave the way for a comprehensive solution.
During the talks in Sana'a, changes were made that produced a new draft in which several points were discussed, the most important of which are:
-Completely stopping military operations (land, sea and air) across the borders and on the Yemeni internal fronts.
- Lifting procedures and restrictions on all Yemeni air, sea and land ports.
-Addressing humanitarian issues, including completing the release of all prisoners and detainees, and other humanitarian issues.
- Payment of employee salaries (partial agreements).
-The exit of foreign forces from Yemen within a specified period of time.
-Reconstruction and reparation (partial reconciliations).
-Basic ideas for a comprehensive political solution in Yemen.
-The principle of good neighborliness and border security.
Xinhua correspondent indicated that there are still points of disagreement on some issues, and that the Saudi delegation left Sana'a with the aim of consulting about it, on the condition that it return again, and that a delegation from the Houthis visit Saudi Arabia during the coming period.
