The eighth meeting of the Yemeni Supervisory Committee on the Implementation of the Detainees Exchange Agreement concluded in the Jordanian capital Amman on Sunday with the gatherers failing to reach a deal.
The meeting was sponsored by the office of the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY) and International Committee of the Red Cross.
“Based on the positive momentum achieved earlier in March in releasing a large group of detainees, the parties engaged in detailed, serious, and responsible discussions, emphasizing the necessity of achieving tangible progress to reach a gradual release of based on the 'all-for-all' principle,” said an OSESGY statement.
“The two parties also agreed to continue consultations on the proposals and ideas discussed and to consult with their leadership, to agree on a detailed proposal that includes priorities identified by the parties for this round and a mechanism for implementation,” it added.
“The Office of the Special Envoy will work with the parties during the coming days to ensure continued engagement and coordination of efforts to achieve progress in this humanitarian file that still haunts thousands of Yemeni families,” it went on to say.
“The Office of the Envoy urges the parties to increase their efforts to alleviate the suffering of the detainees and their families as soon as possible,” it continued.
The government delegation in Amman is hoping that a new swap would include Mohammed Qahtan, in line with a 2216 UN Security Council resolution.
Spokesman for the delegation Majed Fadael revealed that the Iran-backed Houthi militias have agreed to a political prisoner exchange, which would include Qahtan.
He described the latest round of consultations as positive. The proposals that were made will be relayed to the leaderships of the parties that were present at the talks ahead of holding a new round of negotiations, he added.
The new round will be held after next week’s Eid al-Adha holiday.
Fadael stressed that the delegation is following the directives of the Presidential Leadership Council and government and that it will not spare an effort that would end the suffering of the relatives of the prisoners and ensuring the release of all detainees.
