Glimmer of hope for Yemen

There is now a glimmer of hope, although still faint, that the conflict in Yemen might come to an end through a peaceful resolution.

Such hope comes as the conflicting sides signalled their acceptance to attend UN-sponsored talks.

Both the rebels and President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s government sent their confirmation regarding participation in peace talks to the UN.

As long as the parties are willing to negotiate, the possibility that the war, which has so far killed over 4,500 civilians, not counting military casualties, could end is becoming more real.

UN Security Council Resolution 2216 is already in place. It calls for the rebels’ withdrawal from captured territories, including the capital city Sanaa, which fell to them in September 2014.

Hopefully the warring parties, weary of the many months of ugly fighting that saw no real winner, will sit down for talks that will eventually give Yemenis a chance to live in peace.

There was an attempt last June to hold a peace conference between the two sides of the conflict, but it never got off the ground because of prohibitive conditions the two sides placed to holding it in the first place.

Hopefully now they will be willing to stop the killing machine and give peace a chance.

The UN Security Council has already laid down the basis for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and this should be the starting point for any peace negotiations.

Once the resolution on Yemen is duly accepted and respected by the Houthis, everything else could fall into place.

The people of Yemen deserve to live in peace and see their country prosper.

The two sides must not let this new opportunity slip by.