Saudi-led coalition in Yemen extends unilateral truce by one month

Apr 24, 2020

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced Friday it was extending a unilateral cease-fire by another month as part of efforts to rein in the war-torn country’s COVID-19 outbreak. 

Citing coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported the cease-fire, which began Thursday, would allow for UN-brokered negotiations between the two parties. 

“The chance is still there for concerted efforts to reach a comprehensive and permanent cease-fire in Yemen,” al-Maliki said.

On Thursday, a two-week cease-fire declared by the coalition earlier this month expired with no permanent deal in place. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been calling on both parties to negotiate a long-term agreement to end the fighting, especially in light of the pandemic. 

Yemen has been ravaged by war since 2014, when the Iranian-aligned Houthis rebels seized control of Sanaa and went on to capture large swaths of the country from pro-government forces, on whose behalf the Saudis and a group of allies intervened militarily in March 2015.