Gulf bloc seeks to host Yemen govt, rebels for rare talks

RIYADH: Gulf Arab countries are seeking to host rare talks between Yemen’s warring parties, including the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, in Riyadh at the end of the month, officials said on Tuesday.

Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, has been wracked by a devastating war since 2014, pitting the Huthis against the internationally recognised government. The Saudi-based Gulf Cooperation Council "is considering holding talks between Yemen’s warring parties to put an end to the conflict", an official from the six-nation bloc, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Tuesday.

An official from the Saudi-backed Yemeni government said the conference would take place between March 29 and April 7. “We don’t have a problem if the Huthis attend the talks’’.