Yemeni Government Delegation to Attend Muscat Negotiations Despite Earlier Refusal

The Yemeni government negotiating team, led by Yahya Kazman, has confirmed its participation in upcoming negotiations in Muscat, Oman, scheduled for late June 2024. This comes despite the government's earlier refusal to attend talks on prisoner exchange and economic issues, as announced by Human Rights and Legal Affairs Minister Ahmed Arman on June 24th.

The government's decision to attend the Muscat talks follows "high-level directives," according to Kazman. This shift in stance appears to be linked to the government's insistence on the release of politician Mohammed Qahtan, who has been forcibly disappeared by the Houthis. A document circulating online, seen by Bran Press, instructs the negotiating team not to finalize any prisoner exchange agreement with the Houthis unless Qahtan's fate is revealed and he is allowed to communicate with his family.

The government has accused the Houthis of continuing to detain aid workers, including those from international and local organizations, despite earlier calls for their release. Minister Arman stated that the government's priority is to halt arbitrary arrests, protect aid workers, and secure the swift release of those detained.

The government delegation has accused the international community of "condoning" the Houthis' manipulation of prisoner lists and has called for pressure on the group to cease arrests, executions, and forced disappearances of civilians. They have also demanded the release of all detainees, including Qahtan, and the dropping of all death sentences issued against detainees, including those released in previous prisoner exchanges.

The delegation has reiterated its stance that negotiations with the Houthis will not proceed until the group fulfills its commitments to release all forcibly disappeared individuals.

The upcoming Muscat negotiations mark a renewed effort to resolve the prisoner exchange issue, which has been a major obstacle in the ongoing conflict in Yemen. The success of these talks will depend heavily on the Houthis' willingness to engage in good faith and address the government's demands, including the release of Qahtan and other detainees.