Intra-Yemen dialogue opens in Riyadh amid Houthi absence

RIYADH

Intra-Yemeni talks started on Wednesday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, under the auspices of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

"Today’s talks are closely followed up by all Yemenis, amid hopes to reach a solution between rivals,” GCC Secretary-General Nayef al-Hajraf told the opening session of the talks.

“A peaceful solution is the only way to Yemen's crisis," he stressed.

The GCC-sponsored talks seek to probe ways of restoring peace to Yemen, which fell into civil war since 2014.

Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hussein Ibrahim Taha, said dialogue is the only way to resolve the 8-year conflict in Yemen.

“The Yemeni people have the right to aspire to a decent life and a better future,” he added.

Houthi rebels have boycotted the talks, demanding the dialogue be held in a “neutral country”.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthis captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict has created one of the world's worst man-made humanitarian crises, with nearly 80% of the country’s population in need of humanitarian assistance and protection and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat