Yemen Peace Talks Set for December, Mattis Says

Credits UN special envoy for putting talks together

Jason Ditz 

Posted onNovember 21, 2018CategoriesNewsTagsMattis, Saudi Arabia, Yemen

While pre-talk ceasefires appear to have collapsed, Secretary of Defense James Mattis says that Yemen’s peace talks are all set to be held in December in Sweden. Mattis did not give a specific date, but reiterated that all sides had agreed to attend.

Mattis did, however, credit UN’s special envoy for putting the talks together, as well as Sweden for willingly hosting them. This is all being put together as fighting continues to ramp up nationwide, with pledged ceasefires being ditched in favor of new Saudi airstrikes

The environment on the ground has many analysts pessimistic about the talks in general, in particular saying there is no sign that President Trump will pressure the Saudis to make any policy changes on the war. This is doubly true now, as Trump seems to be praising the Saudis loudly at every opportunity.

The Saudis have at times given indications they support the peace process, but have also been heavily bombing populated areas, killing enormous numbers of civilians. That and their long-standing demands that the former Yemeni president be unconditionally reinstalled makes them a likely roadblock for peace talks.

https://news.antiwar.com/2018/11/21/yemen-peace-talks-set-for-december-mattis-says/