Decade of talks with Houthis failed to end conflict: Yemeni foreign minister
- Afrah al-Zouba says military offensive will continue, rejects negotiations that she says allow Houthis to rearm
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- Afrah al-Zouba says military offensive will continue, rejects negotiations that she says allow Houthis to rearm
By Mahmut Geldi and Tarek Chouiref
ISTANBUL (AA) - Nearly a decade of negotiations with the Houthis has failed to secure a political settlement, Yemen’s foreign minister said Saturday, pledging to continue military operations until the country’s objectives are achieved and the group is disarmed.
Afrah Al-Zouba accused the Houthis of using periods of calm to build up their arsenal and repeatedly block efforts to end the conflict.
The government will not accept negotiations that give the group an opportunity to rearm, she told journalists in Istanbul.
Al-Zouba cited 2016 talks, saying the Houthis refused to sign a proposed agreement after roughly 100 days of negotiations. She also accused them of thwarting subsequent peace efforts, including Saudi-backed initiatives that began in 2022.
She said Operation “Dawn of Yemen” would continue “firmly” until its objectives were met.
Al-Zouba met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan earlier Saturday during her first visit to Türkiye since taking office in July.
Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and other provinces in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.
The Houthis control much of northern and western Yemen, while government forces and their allies hold Aden and large parts of southern and eastern provinces.