Yemen warring sides agree to release child prisoners: UN envoy
Saudi criticises UN over Yemen blacklisting
DUBAI, June 6, (RTRS): The parties to over a year of civil war in Yemen have agreed to release all child prisoners they are holding, UN envoy to peace talks in Kuwait Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said on his official Twitter account on Monday.
“The unconditional release of children was agreed, and the mechanics of the release of detainees in the coming days was addressed,” Ould Cheikh Ahmed wrote.
The Iran-allied Houthi group and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government in exile are trying to reach a peace agreement in negotiations aimed at ending the war that has killed at least 6,200 people and caused a humanitarian crisis in the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country.
There was no immediate comment from either side’s peace delegation in Kuwait on the UN envoy’s announcement.
It is clear how many child prisoners are being held, but Yemeni political sources say that the Houthis and the government submitted in late May a list of almost 7,000 names of prisoners they say are being held by the other side.
Human Rights Watch said this month that both sides in the conflict were deploying child soldiers and UNICEF reported that 900 children have been killed and 1,300 wounded during the conflict in 2015.
The UN has struggled to encourage a prisoner release in Yemen coinciding with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began on Monday, and over a month of negotiations have produced few concrete results.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Arab Parliament Ahmad Bin Al-Jarwan condemned on Monday a report recently issued by the UN General Secretariat accusing the Saudi-led Coalition of “committing violations” in Yemen.
Al-Jarwan condemned and rejected “the uncommon act” of enlisting parties that act for the legitimacy, protecting civilians and rebuilding Yemen among the forces that target children.
The world acknowledges the Saudiled Coalition’s accomplishments, supporting the legitimacy, protecting and defending civilians and their freedom, he said, noting that the Arab Parliament has closely followed up on human and moralistic dimensions of the “Restoring Hope” operation in Yemen and the aid given to the people particularly the children.
The UN has contradicted in its report “all the facts on the ground,” Al-Jarwan said, asking the international organization to include Israel in the “black list for killing children.” Instead, the UN, has raised charges against the Coalition “although it has been carrying out a noble mission for the Yemeni people, combating the rebels and terrorists, relieving and aiding the people of Yemen, especially the children, as well as rebuilding the country.” The Coalition forces have been called upon by the legitimate President of Yemen, Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi, to defend the people against those who attacked them and tried to strip them of their will and resources, said the Arab Parliament chairman.
The Coalition Spokesman Brig Gen. Ahmad Asiri criticized the UN report which claimed that the Coalition forces involved in abusive acts in Yemen, noting that it contradicted relevant UN resolutions.