Saudi Arabia and armed Houthi forces are holding heretofore secret talks to try to end the three-year-old war, diplomats and Yemeni political sources told Reuters.
Two diplomats and two Yemeni officials said Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam had been in direct communication with Saudi officials in Oman on a “comprehensive solution” to the conflict, the report said.
“There are consultations between the Houthis and the Saudis, without a representative of the internationally recognized government, and it is clear that there is a desire of the Houthis and the coalition to go toward a comprehensive agreement,” one diplomat told Reuters.
The report of negotiations to end the conflict will be met with enthusiasm in the United States and particularly on Capitol Hill, where Congress continues to grow uneasy about American support of the Saudi-led coalition as the humanitarian situation continues to worsen with no end in sight.
The Senate is expected to debate a war powers resolution next week that calls for the United States to end its involvement in the Yemen conflict, according to CNN, but a top Senate Republican leader “signaled Thursday GOP leaders would prefer to put off a final vote on the divisive issue until after it can be more closely studied in committee.”
Meanwhile, in a separate Reuters report, Saudi Arabia said it signed an agreement in Riyadh to deposit $2 billion in Central Bank of Yemen account to shore up Yemen’s weak currency.
