Yemen demands Saudis take steps before any dialog

“Anyone who wants a solution must stop the aggression, end the siege, open all land, sea and air borders, and then engage in a dialogue that will take time and lead to the peaceful steps that the Yemeni people seek,” the Yemeni prime minister explained.

His comments come after the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council called on Yemeni warring parties to hold talks in Riyadh.

“How can a country that is the main partner in killing the Yemeni people and is committing the most heinous crimes against them be a neutral country that mediates between the involved parties?” bin Habtour said.

Reports say formal invitations would be sent to the popular Ansarullah movement and other Yemeni parties within days for consultations on military, political and economic aspects of the war.

Saudi Arabia launched its war on Yemen in March 2015 in a bid to reinstate former Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, a close Saudi ally, and push Ansarullah forces out of key areas of Yemen. The United Arab Emirates has been the most important partner in the devastating war.

The disastrous military campaign has so far failed to achieve its goals. It has created a humanitarian catastrophe leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead and injured. Millions are also internally displaced.