Saudi Arabia’s ceasefire proposal shows will for political solution

Saudi Arabia’s peace plan for Yemen shows how serious the kingdom is in supporting the country’s UN-led political process, according to experts and officials.

On Monday, the kingdom proposed a nationwide ceasefire and measures including the reopening of Sanaa’s airport to selected destinations, peace talks, the movement of fuel and commodities through Hodeidah and support for aid efforts and reconstruction.

The initiative was welcomed by the international community, which urged all sides to work towards ending the war.

But the rebels appeared to reject the proposal almost immediately, saying they would not consider talks until Saudi Arabia halted its military campaign.

Peter Salisbury, senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the Saudi proposal was a new take on an idea that was first proposed 12 months ago.

“The announcement more than anything signals clear Saudi support for a version of an initiative that has been under discussion for more than a year, first under the UN, more recently with the US playing an assertive role,” he said.

“This isn’t a new initiative. It’s a new spin on a year-old one.”

He said the proposal put forward by the kingdom was aimed at putting pressure on the Houthis.

“We’re in a period where the parties are using all tools at their disposal to improve their bargaining position,” he said.

Saudi Arabia said the initiative could be implemented when it was accepted by the Houthi rebels and Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

A Yemeni government official said the proposal complemented the international community’s efforts aimed at ending the war.

“The Government of Yemen knows that ending the suffering of Yemenis will mean ending the coup and conflict sparked by the Houthis,” the official told The National.

“Efforts to achieve peace will be based on three references, which are implementing UN resolution 2216 [to end the violence], restoring the state and rejecting Iran’s destructive influence.”

Peace moves were first announced in December 2018 in the Swedish capital, Stockholm. There the government and the Iran-backed rebel movement signed a deal brokered by the UN’s special envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths.

Some elements of Saudi Arabia’s new plan were already agreed upon in Stockholm.

They include agreements on a prisoner swap, a ceasefire and troop withdrawal from Hodeidah, and the formation of a committee to negotiate the future of Taez city.

But Houthi arguments over the details of the agreement prevented major aspects of it from being carried out.

Reports suggested that breaches of the agreement by the Houthis pushed the government to re-examine its position.

UN resolution 2216 also calls for the Houthis to withdraw from areas they seized since 2014 and hand their heavy weapons back to the government.

Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Houthis ousted the internationally recognised government in the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014.