Prisoner exchange negotiations conclude in Amman without results
English - Monday 19 June 2023 الساعة 06:35 pm
Aden, NewsYemen, exclusive:
he deadline for the eighth round meetings approved by the United Nations for the delegations of the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia, Iran's arm in Yemen, to discuss a new process for the exchange of prisoners and detainees between the two parties during the coming period has expired.
On Friday, the office of the UN envoy to Yemen, Mr. Hans Grundberg, announced the start of meetings for a new round of prisoner exchange negotiations for a period of three days, to discuss the continuation of the exchange of prison visits and set a date for a new operation to transfer more detainees.
According to sources close to the government delegation to "Newsyemen", the three-day meetings did not make any significant progress, and the Houthi militia delegation remained intransigent and procrastinated in pivotal discussions, including the next steps to release more prisoners, as well as with regard to exchanging visits to prisons, as well as discussing the release of Yemeni politician Muhammad Qahtan, who is included in the Security Council resolution.
The sources pointed out that what took place in Jordan were not talks as many had expected from the families and families of the detainees who hoped to repeat the releases that took place last April, noting that there was nothing new in the Amman talks, neither on the exchange of visits nor anything else, and that everyone is still rotates in the same place. As he says.
The sources indicated that the discussions did not focus on the names of the potential prisoners to be released, or discussing the lists as it took place in the Swiss Berne meetings last March, or arrangements for a future exchange process, but only focused on overcoming the obstacles that prevent each party from making joint visits to its detainees. the other, which paves the way for a future release.
For his part, the spokesman for the government delegation to the prisoners' negotiations, member of the negotiating delegation and Undersecretary of the Ministry of Human Rights, Majed Fadayel, said in a statement he published on his Twitter page that the round of consultations held in Jordan concluded in a positive atmosphere after the approval of the Houthi delegation to exchange politician Muhammad Qahtan in any way. An upcoming exchange process, explaining that several proposals for exchange have been put forward, provided that each party submits them to his leadership for approval and returns after Eid Al-Adha for a new round to agree on the details of the exchange.
In his statement, Fadhail indicated that the government delegation deals with responsibility, great commitment and complete seriousness, and that it is very keen to release all for all in accordance with the directives of the leadership of the Presidential Council and the Yemeni government. in prisons and detention centers to their families as soon as possible.
For her part, Jessica Musan, Media Adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Middle East, said that the committee, along with the office of the United Nations envoy to Yemen, attended a meeting in Amman between the two parties to the conflict, "to address issues related to negotiations on a future release."
The Yemeni government and the Houthis conducted exchanges of detainees last March, which included the release of about 900 prisoners. Under this agreement, a second round was set for mid-May to release the rest of the detainees, but the Houthi militia reneged on the agreement, which included an exchange of prison visits.
It is noteworthy that the two parties to the conflict concluded a previous exchange in October 2020, in which more than 1,050 prisoners were released and returned to their regions or countries, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
