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India welcomes extension of truce by Yemeni government and Houthi rebels
The conflict in Yemen has had consequences for Indian nationals living and working in the region. Seven Indian sailors were taken captive when Houthi rebels seized the UAE-flagged merchant vessel Rwabee in the Red Sea on January 2, and they were freed from captivity in late April.
New Delhi: India on Friday welcomed the agreement between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels to extend a ceasefire for two months, and expressed the hope that this will lead to further political dialogue aimed at ending the conflict.
UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg announced on Thursday that the two parties had agreed to extend the truce. The initial ceasefire, the first since 2016, started on April 2 and was set to expire on Thursday.
“We welcome the agreement between the parties to the Yemeni conflict to renew the current truce for two additional months,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
“We are encouraged by this development, the reduction in violence in Yemen during the ceasefire over the past two months as well as the first face-to-face meeting under the UN auspices between the parties to the conflict,” he added.
India hopes these developments will lead to “further political dialogue between the parties for ending the conflict and restoring peace, security and stability across Yemen”, Bagchi said.
The conflict in Yemen has had consequences for Indian nationals living and working in the region. Seven Indian sailors were taken captive when Houthi rebels seized the UAE-flagged merchant vessel Rwabee in the Red Sea on January 2, and they were freed from captivity in late April.
Besides the seizure of the merchant vessel, two Indians were killed and two more injured in a drone attack by the Houthis on Abu Dhabi on January 17. The attack was carried out in apparent retaliation for the UAE’s role in the coalition fighting the Houthis.
The ceasefire in Yemen resulted in the number of civilians killed and injured dropping by more than 50% and the resumption of commercial flights from Sanaa airport after six years. However, serious differences remain between the Yemeni government and the rebels and fighting has not totally stopped in some parts of the country.
