Yemen truce begins amid pressure on Saudis

A fresh ceasefire has gone into effect in Yemen, which started a minute before midnight on Wednesday, and will continue for 72 hours.

According to Press TV, the United Nations envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said all parties to the conflict have agreed that the initial time period is subject to renewal and could be extended to last longer.

The ceasefire, which was brokered by the UN, followed days of fierce clashes between Saudi-led invasion forces and Yemeni troops under the command of the Supreme Political Council.

On Tuesday, the UN special envoy for Yemen was in Moscow reviewing recent developments with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov.

The two diplomats reportedly discussed the chances of resolving the Yemen conflict through diplomatic channels and the role of the UN and the Security Council in supporting peace efforts.

Cheikh Ahmed met US Secretary of State John Kerry and UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson earlier in London, where the Western diplomats emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire in Yemen as well. 

Saudi ally and former Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir also announced their agreement with a ceasefire.

The Ansarullah-run Supreme Political Council, the top governing body, welcomed the ceasefire but demanded the Saudi invaders halt military attacks. It said Yemen needed an immediate, lasting and comprehensive truce without conditions.

Fighting in Yemen re-escalated after earlier peace talks, also mediated by the UN and held in Kuwait, collapsed in August.

ME