Houthis must keep their promises for the sake of Yemen

Ahandshake between Yemen’s foreign minister and a leader of the Houthi rebels earlier this month in Sweden was a symbolic gesture that raised hopes for progress on ending the fouryear war in Yemen. It was the first time in years that rebels took a seat at the table and seemed willing to talk. They agreed on pulling back from the port city of Hodeida, exchanging prisoners, and allowing food and aid to flow into the country. Nearly four years of war has ravaged Yemen and brought nothing but misery to its people. Millions of Yemenis are facing severe hunger, and millions more are on the brink of famine. So it should be expected that promises are kept and efforts made to resolve the conflict through talks. But can we really trust the Houthis who have brought so much destruction to the country they call their own?

Peace talks in Sweden offer a glimmer of hope but doubts are already being cast on the veracity of the pledges made thus far. The Houthis have started pulling back from

Hodeida, but at the same time they have failed to honour an agreement to open a ‘humanitarian’ corridor between Hodeida and Sanaa, the capital city of Yemen.

Both cities are under militant control and the corridor is a crucial passage for supply of humanitarian aid that Yemenis so badly need.

The Yemen government backed by the Saudi coalition has the firepower to defeat the rebels, but it is willing to walk the extra mile for the sake of people. It is willing to explore ways to reach a political settlement that’ll end the bloodshed and allow the country to return to normalcy as soon as possible. But that can only happen when the Houthis put the interests of people before their own. It is imperative that the agreement reached in Sweden is honoured and further talks take place in January. There is an urgent need to revitalise the Yemeni economy and help the people rebuild their lives and communities, or what is left of it. December has been a month of good tidings. The Houthis should realise that it is in their interests to keep the temporary peace. The harder part would be to allow the spread of this truce to other parts of the country. Peace would be well served if this happens.

The Saudi coalition has the firepower to defeat the rebels, but it is willing to walk the extra mile for the sake of people. It is willing to explore ways to reach a political settlement that’ll end the bloodshed.