Exiled Yemen Government Agrees to Peace Talks With Houthi Rebels

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/20/world/middleeast/exiled-yemen-government-agrees-to-peace-talks-with-houthi-rebels.html

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BEIRUT, Lebanon — Yemen’s exiled government has agreed to participate in peace talks with a rebel group known as the Houthis in a possible step toward ending the nearly seven-month conflict in Yemen, government officials and the United Nations said on Monday. The Houthis had previously indicated their willingness to attend the talks, which could be held in the next few weeks in Geneva, diplomats said.

More than 5,400 people have been killed in hostilities that erupted in March after the Houthis drove the government of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi from power. Saudi Arabia, which supports Mr. Hadi, is leading an Arab military coalition that is carrying out airstrikes and ground combat against the Houthis.

Previous attempts to bring the parties together for face-to-face talks have failed, with camps on opposing sides of the conflict convinced of the possibility of a military victory. After the Saudi-led coalition won a string of battles over the summer, including the capture of the southern city of Aden, the war has settled into an impasse.

The new push for a settlement comes as the coalition has faced intensifying pressure to end its maritime blockade of Yemen. Human rights groups are also calling for an investigation into possible war crimes during the conflict. The coalition in particular has faced intense criticism for its bombing campaign, which human rights workers say is responsible for the majority of civilian deaths in the conflict.

Humanitarian aid groups sent a joint letter to the United Nations Security Council on Monday urging it to “press the parties to the conflict to implement an immediate cease-fire” The groups, including the Norwegian Refugee Council and Oxfam International, also called for an international monitoring mechanism to investigate abuses by all sides and for the expansion of an embargo on arms and military equipment because of the “clear risk that these may be used to commit serious violations of international law.”