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241 Captives Released in Deal Between Yemeni Army, Houthis

Armed Houthi militants shout slogans during a demonstration in support of the militia in Sana'a. Reuters
Armed Houthi militants shout slogans during a demonstration in support of the militia in Sana'a. Reuters
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241 Captives Released in Deal Between Yemeni Army, Houthis

Armed Houthi militants shout slogans during a demonstration in support of the militia in Sana'a. Reuters
Armed Houthi militants shout slogans during a demonstration in support of the militia in Sana'a. Reuters

The Yemeni armed forces and Houthi militias on Monday struck a deal to exchange captives, resulting in the release of more than 200 people, official sources said.

According to Yemen National Military Website (SeptemberNet), the exchange included prisoners in the liberated Shabwa province.

There were 241 prisoners and abductees, SeptemberNet said, while the Houthi Saba news agency said that 275 prisoners were released.

The Yemeni military’s website quoted sources in the brigade “26 Mika” as saying that the deal succeeded in releasing 120 abductees from Bihan’s directorate and the body of a martyr who died under torture, while the army released in return 120 prisoners of war belonging to the coup militia, who were arrested in the battlefield.

The military source said the deal was carried out under the instruction of the Supreme Command of the National Army and the leadership of Bihan, led by Major General Mufreh Buhaibeh with the participation of the heads of brigades and Popular Resistance forces at the Bihan battlefront.

Contrary to what the Yemeni army reported, sources from the Houthi militia said that the deal included the release of 165 of its members taken captive by the National Army.

It added that "local mediation" succeeded in concluding the exchange deal, which included "the release of 275 prisoners from both sides."

The Yemeni army forces had liberated the last areas controlled by Houthi militias in Shabwa province, including Bihan and Assilan directorates, in December before continuing their incursion into the neighboring province of Baidha and expelling militias from Na’aman and Nata directorates.

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Hemedti Aide: Ready for Talks to End Sudan War if Seriousness Shown

Ezz El-Din Al-Safi, senior adviser to the commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Ezz El-Din Al-Safi, senior adviser to the commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Hemedti Aide: Ready for Talks to End Sudan War if Seriousness Shown

Ezz El-Din Al-Safi, senior adviser to the commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Ezz El-Din Al-Safi, senior adviser to the commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (Asharq Al-Awsat)

A senior adviser to the commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said the group is open to serious negotiations with the government based in Port Sudan to end the country’s devastating conflict, now in its third year, provided there is genuine political will from the other side.

The remarks by Ezz El-Din Al-Safi, who is also a member of the RSF’s negotiating team, come as international actors prepare to meet in Brussels on Thursday in a bid to lay the groundwork for a ceasefire.

The talks are expected to include the European Union, African Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Bahrain.

“Negotiations could begin with confidence-building measures and credible arrangements,” Al-Safi told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“Dialogue remains the best path to ending a war that has no winners, only losers, both the people and the nation.”

He said the RSF is ready to discuss the location, timing, and possible mediators for peace talks, but stressed that any engagement must be met with equal seriousness by Sudan’s military-backed government.

However, Al-Safi cautioned that his group would not accept talks that merely allow the opposing side to regroup and secure external support to resume fighting.

“We cannot enter into a dialogue that gives the other party time to reorganize and rearm,” he said, adding that the RSF remains “at its strongest” on the battlefield.

Sudan’s army has conditioned any peace negotiations on the implementation of the Jeddah Declaration, a humanitarian agreement signed in May 2023. The deal, brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States, has since been marred by mutual accusations of violations from both the military and the RSF.

Meanwhile, the RSF is pushing ahead with plans to form a rival administration in areas under its control.

Al-Safi, a senior adviser to RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, said the group is nearing the formation of what he called a “government of unity and peace.”

He added that over 90% of the preparations for the announcement have been completed.

“The delay in announcing the government is due to ongoing consultations among members of the Founding Sudan Alliance [Tasis], which supports this move,” Al-Safi told Asharq Al-Awsat. “It’s not because of internal disagreements, as some have suggested.”

Asked about the planned capital of the parallel government, Al-Safi declined to name the city but suggested it would not be Khartoum.

“There are cities more beautiful than Khartoum,” he said. “From a strategic perspective, I believe the capital should be temporary and capable of accommodating all institutions of government.”

He only noted that the proposed city is located in territory controlled by the Tasis alliance.

The RSF’s moves come amid growing fears that the fragmentation of Sudan will deepen if parallel authorities are entrenched, further complicating efforts to reach a comprehensive peace.