Aden, Jan 9 (IANS): UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg concluded a visit to Sanaa on Thursday, engaging in discussions with senior political and military officials on advancing peace initiatives and securing the unconditional release of detainees.
According to a statement released by the envoy's office, Grundberg emphasised the crucial need for both national and regional de-escalation to create conducive conditions for dialogue. The envoy also called for concrete actions to advance the political process, with the goal of achieving lasting peace and stability across Yemen.
"I am determined to safeguard the progress made to date on the roadmap and keep focus on the prospects for peace in Yemen," Grundberg was quoted as saying, Xinhua news agency reported.
The envoy's visit included discussions on conflict-related detainees, building upon negotiations held in Oman in July 2024. Grundberg stressed that resolving the detainee issue is essential for building confidence between parties and demonstrating commitment to the peace process.
Grundberg began his visit at the residence of a UN colleague's family, who has been held by the Houthi group since June 2024. He strongly urged the immediate and unconditional release of all detained personnel from the UN, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), civil society, and diplomatic missions, emphasising that such detentions violate international law.
"We must protect the role of civil society and humanitarian personnel. They make vital contributions to peace and rebuilding Yemen," the envoy emphasised.
On Monday, Grundberg arrived in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, marking his first visit in nearly two years as part of efforts to push forward the stalled peace process.
The visit is the first by the UN envoy in nearly two years, as tensions and detentions of international staff have hindered the progress of the peace talks.
Over the past two years, the Houthis have detained dozens of employees from UN agencies and international and local NGOs.
Yemen has been in a state of uneasy calm since October 2, 2022, when the government and the Houthi group failed to renew and expand a UN-brokered truce.
Despite years of diplomatic efforts, neither side has shown a willingness to resume negotiations to end the conflict, which the UN estimates has killed hundreds of thousands of people and pushed millions to the brink of famine in Yemen.