Yemeni Prisoner Exchange Signals Path to Peace
The U.N. sponsored the exchange talks in Geneva. (Creative Commons)
The Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels successfully exchanged more than 1000 prisoners on October 16 in the largest prisoner swap of the five-year war. The Yemeni government freed around 680 Houthi rebels, while rebels released 400 pro-government fighters. Houthis were flown to Sanaa, the rebel-held capital, and pro-government fighters to Aden. The International Committee of the Red Cross oversaw the exchange and conducted medical checks on the prisoners.
The swap marks the first sign of progress since the two sides signed a cease-fire agreement in 2018. The cease-fire has proved tense, enduring several conflicts and setbacks in peace-talks. Just last week, the port city of Al-Hodeidah experienced escalating violence despite the arrangements.
Negotiations for the exchange began in December 2018 as part of the UN-sponsored Stockholm agreement, which originally called for a 15,000 prisoners swap some time in January or early February 2019.
Martin Griffiths, UN Special Envoy to Yemen, remarked that the exchange stands as an “airlift of hope” and would “bring immense relief and comfort to all those families who waited so long to be reunited as well as to other families, close relations, friends and members of their communities.”
Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdel Salam also provided a positive outlook on the situation, saying that “any exchange of prisoners and detainees in Yemen, which witnesses an aggression and blockade, is positive and will open new horizons in the path to peace.”
The swap comes only a day after the Houthi rebels released two American hostages in exchange for 200 Houthi prisoners. These two prisoner exchanges did not directly have anything to do with one another, as the U.S. detainees secured release with help from Oman. Nonetheless, both prisoner exchanges signaled a rare move demonstrating a renewed interest in seeking peace.
Saudi cooperation greatly helped in facilitating the Yemen-Houthi exchange. Saudi Arabia has led an international, U.S. backed coalition against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, but Saudi Arabia has wound down its involvement in the war as international criticism grows and the conflict drains its funds.
Houthi official Abdel-Qader al-Mortada indicated that both sides have already agreed to another prisoner exchange and now await assistance from the UN to finalize the deal.