In what could be one of the first fruits of the China-mediated agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to re-establish diplomatic relations, Yemen’s Houthi rebels and the internationally recognized government—based in Saudi Arabia—have agreed at talks in Bern, Switzerland to swap more than 880 prisoners, both sides said Monday, as efforts accelerate to end the war, reported Al Monitor. Al Monitor notes that the agreed exchange comes after Saudi Arabia and Iran, who back opposing sides in the conflict, earlier this month moved towards restoring diplomatic ties after a seven-year rupture.
A UN-brokered ceasefire that took effect last April brought a sharp reduction in hostilities, the report continues. The truce expired in October, though fighting largely remains on hold. Under the agreement, the Iran-backed Houthis will release 181 detainees, including Saudi and Sudanese nationals, in exchange for 706 prisoners, said Abdul Qader al-Murtada, who heads the Houthi’s National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs. “The swap will be implemented after three weeks,” Murtada said, noting there are plans for another round of prisoner-exchange talks in coming months. Majed Fadail, a member of the Yemeni government’s delegation, said that the Houthis would release a former defense minister, Mahmoud al-Subaihi, and other officials, as well as four journalists.
The prisoner swap was announced after Hans Grundberg, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, last week noted “intense diplomatic efforts” to end the conflict.
