May 23-29: US blocks transfer of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia

Monday, May 23More than 40 army recruits were killed and 60 injured when a car bomb was detonated outside of a military training camp in Aden’s Khormaksar. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack against what they called “the apostate Yemeni army.”

The Kuwait negotiations resumed following a weekend meeting between Hadi, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and the Emir of Qatar. Mr. Ban emphasized the need for concrete results to come from the peace talks along with efforts to provide and facilitate humanitarian aid.

Amnesty International reports that families returning home to northern Yemen after the conflict has subsided are now at risk of stumbling onto de facto minefields that have been created by unexploded US-made cluster bombs which were routinely misused by the Saudi coalition. Ten new cases have been documented in which 16 civilians, including nine children, were killed or injured due to unexploded cluster munitions.

Tuesday, May 24 The UK government has sought assurances from Saudi Arabia that British-made cluster bombs have not been used in the conflict in Yemen. This is despite thorough documentation of their use by Amnesty International, which has written to Prime Minister David Cameron calling for a government inquiry into allegations of British involvement in the conflict.

Thursday, May 26 The Houthis and Hadi’s government in exile agreed to a mass prisoner swap before the start of Ramadan in early June. Houthi sources claim that 1,000 prisoners would be released while the government says all prisoners, or upwards of 4,000, would be swapped.  

Friday, May 27 Following pressure from Congress and advocacy groups, the US has placed a hold on the transfer of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia. Washington has sold millions of dollars worth of cluster bombs to Riyadh in recent years, which have been used in bombing campaigns in Yemen, often in civilian areas.

“Cluster bombs contain bomblets that scatter widely and kill or injure indiscriminately. Sometimes bomblets fail to detonate immediately and can kill civilians months or even years later. The weapons were banned in a 2008 international treaty that arms sales giants, including the United States and Russia, refused to sign.”

Reports indicate that AQAP has managed to hold onto some of the revenue that was lost following their expulsion from Mukalla last month. By partnering with other armed groups and taxing fuel deliveries that pass through two AQAP-controlled checkpoints, the group is still turning a profit in Shabwa, west of Mukalla.

Saturday, May 28 UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond toured the Gulf states this weekend to press for more concerted action on Syria and Yemen. He said the Yemen crisis will be high on his agenda, adding that allowing the state to collapse "is simply not an option.”

Hammond has routinely denied the Saudi-led coalition’s use of cluster bombs in Yemen, and defends British arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the kingdom’s record in the war.

A reduction in British arms exports to Saudi Arabia is unlikely, as the UK’s weapon sales to oppressive regimes, including Saudi Arabia, is reported to have topped 3 billion pounds a year.

Sunday, May 29 Clashes between Houthi rebels and government forces in the Houthi-controlled Bayhan district between Shabwa and Marib provinces claimed the lives of 48 fighters - 28 Houthi and pro-Saleh forces and 20 government soldiers - a senior military officer said.

The unintended consequences of the war on AQAP

The war on terror waged by Western governments in Yemen has not only failed to achieve its goals, but has in fact strengthened the exact groups it hoped to defeat. A recent piece in Foreign Policy by Jack Watling and Namir Shabibi explains why military training and financial incentives provided to Yemen’s government by the US and the UK to defeat al-Qaeda have brought about disastrous unintended consequences. In the eight years that Western governments have provided military training to troops in Yemen, al-Qaeda has expanded its territory and increased its membership. For a year up until last month, AQAP ruled a mini-state in Yemen’s port city of Mukalla. Local officials estimate the group earned $2 million a day from taxes on fuel and goods, illustrating both AQAP's financial success and the utter failure by Western governments to defeat the militant group.

But the counter-terrorism push by Washington and London was not always a failure. The early years of the fight against AQAP, from 2001 to 2005, were so successful that the two governments considered the group defeated and cut back significantly on aid to Yemen. Shortly thereafter, 23 senior militants escaped from a Yemeni prison, renewing the al-Qaeda threat and the aid money.

The response set the worst possible precedent. It effectively tied millions of dollars in aid — and the corresponding support for President Saleh — not to al Qaeda’s elimination, but to its continued presence. From that moment, Yemeni efforts to confront the insurgency lost their previous vigor.

The strategy of direct military assistance presented its own challenges. Upon the creation of Western-trained Yemeni anti-terrorism units, the amount of operations against al-Qaeda notably decreased. This was in part due to an unwillingness of Yemeni troops to interfere in tribal areas, but also represented the troops' understanding that, if their aim was achieved and al-Qaeda was defeated, their unit would no longer be needed.

Independent efforts by Western governments to defeat AQAP, such as drone strikes, have also had unintended consequences. The numerous civilian deaths resulting from drone attacks roused anger among average Yemenis, facilitating recruitment by al-Qaeda. Ultimately, all of these efforts to defeat AQAP were a waste of time, money, and lives, and should serve as a lesson for any future attempts to defeat the group.

Amnesty International documents arbitrary arrests by Houthis

Amnesty International’s May report on detention and disappearance in Houthi-controlled Yemen examines 60 cases of Houthi forces arresting political opposition figures, activists, and journalists as part of their efforts to suppress opposition. Those arrested are held without charge for as long as 17 months, sometimes tortured and mistreated, and consistently denied legal representation.  To arrive at their findings, Amnesty conducted interviews between May 2015 and April 2016 with 12 former detainees and over 60 relatives and friends of those imprisoned, as well as activists and lawyers.

Amnesty was unable to determine the exact number of political detainees, but one San’a-based lawyer said relatives of more than 200 detainees have submitted reports of arbitrary arrest and detention. The total number of political prisoners held by Houthi forces in Yemen is likely much higher.

Those who have witnessed or have been subject to arrest say that Ansarullah, the Houthi’s political wing, “carried out detentions in homes, in front of family members, at security checkpoints, at workplaces, or in public venues such as mosques, without arrest warrants and with no explanation of the reasons or grounds for detention, and without providing any information about where the detained were being taken.”

We found out that [our relative] was being tortured in a barbaric manner and his health was deteriorating. We begged the Houthis in every way possible to permit us to visit him but they continued to refuse our requests...After many mediation efforts with Houthi officials and their political office [Ansarullah], we were permitted to see him for a short visit in Eid al-Adha...Since then [mid-September], we have not been able to see him or check up on him.

Detainees who are suspected to have voiced opposition to the Houthi takeover or spoken in favor of the Saudi-led coalition are labelled as “dawa’ish” (supporters of ISIS), or “supporters of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition aggression on Yemen,” in an attempt to justify their detention. Some journalists are accused of providing GPS coordinates to the coalition.

Amnesty International recommends that “The de facto Houthi authorities and aligned institutions in San’a, as well as the internationally recognised government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and any post-war government, should ensure that...all such cases are investigated impartially and independently and that individuals against whom sufficient admissible evidence is found of responsibility for serious violations, are prosecuted in proceedings that fully respect international fair trial standards. Victims and their families must receive full reparation.”

May 16-22: Saudi airstrikes resume, peace talks given 'one last chance'

Monday, May 16A weekday ban on the sale of qat went into effect in Aden on Monday, with checkpoints set up around the city to block its shipment. The crackdown was reportedly due to social and health concerns. Qat was last banned 26 years ago in south Yemen, before unification in 1990.

An anonymous diplomatic source in Kuwait spoke to Reuters about progress in the negotiations, saying, "There is an agreement on the withdrawal from the cities and the (Houthi) handover of weapons, forming a government of all parties and preparing for new elections. The dispute now only centers around where to begin."

The wave of terrorist attacks in Yemen briefly appeared to have brought the two sides closer together, with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir tweeting last week, "Whether we agree or disagree with them, the Houthis are part of the social fabric of Yemen ... The Houthis are our neighbors. Al Qaeda and Daesh are terrorist entities that must be confronted in Yemen and everywhere else.”

Tuesday, May 17 Hadi’s government withdrew from peace talks on Tuesday in response to what it says is the refusal by the Houthis to implement UN resolution 2216, which would require them to withdraw from seized territory and hand over their arms. The resolution has been one of the major sticking points in the negotiations.

Only 16% of the $1.8 billion needed to provide humanitarian aid in Yemen has been funded, the UN reported on Tuesday. UN aid operations director John Ging said that over the past few months there has been “a shocking fall off in terms of donor funding for basic humanitarian support,” adding, “We're only asking for the minimum that is required to keep people alive in these awful circumstances."

Wednesday, May 18 Amnesty International says that Houthi forces have been arbitrarily arresting opposition activists, journalists, academics, and politicians. Those detained are often tortured and held without charge for as long as 18 months.

"Eighteen individuals featured in the report are still being held, including 21-year-old student Abdul Ilah Saylan, who was arrested outside a Sanaa cafe last August."

Thursday, May 19 The US added ISIS affiliates from Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen to its list of designated terrorist organizations on Thursday. These groups were previously considered sympathizers rather than formal affiliates of terrorist groups.

“The State Department, working with the Justice and Treasury departments, also placed the groups on a list of global terrorists that allows the Obama administration to sanction anyone who knowingly helps or provides material support to these groups -- freezing any property, bank accounts or other interests they might have in the US.”

Saturday, May 21 Yemen's government agreed to resume peace talks after Qatar's foreign minister and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon succeeded in convincing Hadi to return to the negotiating table following Tuesday’s suspension.

Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdul-Malik al-Mekhlafi said on Saturday that the Yemeni government will give the peace talks one last chance after receiving regional and international guarantees.

The move comes at the same time that the Saudi-led coalition carried out airstrikes on supposed military bases in San’a and Amran provinces, reportedly killing dozens of Houthi fighters.

Sunday May 22 UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that Kuwait talks are making progress as the truce largely holds. This is despite the previous days’ airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition.

Meanwhile, Ali Abdullah Saleh continues to reject Hadi’s legitimacy and called the talks a “waste of time.”

Yemeni troops backed by the Arab coalition reportedly killed 13 al-Qaeda fighters in a raid outside of Mukalla on Sunday.

"A search confirmed that these fighters were about to carry out a surprise terrorist attack on some military command centres at dawn this morning."

Three more fighters were later killed as a car bomb they were preparing detonated in the courtyard of a house in the Rawkab area where the raid had taken place, according to residents and a security official.

Police in Aden opened fire on protesters on Sunday who were demonstrating against the city’s recent power cuts. At least one protester was killed and others wounded.

"Our life is a real disaster," said 20-year-old Aden resident Mohammed Abdulhakim. "We are unable to sleep" because of the heat, which has reached over 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

"The war has destroyed everything and the aid arriving in Aden is not enough to restore power.”

What benefits remain in the U.S.-Saudi alliance?

The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington hosted a discussion on Wednesday on the nature of U.S.-Saudi relations and the conflicts and challenges that could threaten their close alliance. Heading the discussion was F. Gregory Gause, an AGSIW board member and professor of international affairs.  In response to recent friction in U.S.-Saudi relations, and the apparent absence of shared interests and strategic goals, some have predicted that ties between the two countries may soon be broken. Gause, however, says it is unlikely that the U.S. would distance itself from Saudi Arabia, as it remains an important ally in a region that lacks political leadership.

“It is extremely useful to have a good working relationship with countries that actually govern their territory and that have some influence in areas where real governance no longer exists,” Gause says, adding that the Saudis "are susceptible to the normal instruments of diplomacy and have influence in these areas where governance has collapsed or is contested in the region.”

Gause explains that the alliance between Saudi Arabia and the U.S. started with the dependence of the Saudi oil industry on American companies and the countries’ shared strategic interests during the Cold War. Today, those interests seem to have disappeared, with Saudi Arabia now controlling its own oil and tackling regional conflicts in a different way than the. U.S.

Gause cites the perception of Iran’s role in the Middle East as the main difference in U.S.-Saudi strategic relations. Saudi Arabia views most conflicts in the region, such as those in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, through the lens of Iranian influence, while the U.S. sees these conflicts as stemming from domestic instabilities.

In view of these differences, why are both sides working to sustain this relationship? Gause asserts that there are still a significant number of common interests that unite Washington and Riyadh. Both sides see Salafi jihadism as a threat and both have an interest in preventing any other power from dominating the Gulf region and the Middle East as a whole.

Yemen in particular illustrates the strategic differences and commonalities between Saudi Arabia and the U.S. As Gause says, “Yemen encapsulates both the tensions in bilateral relations and the desire by both sides to sustain the relationship despite these tensions.”

“The U.S. has no quarrel with the Houthis. The only real interest the U.S. has been willing to act on in Yemen in recent years has been the priority of attacking Salafi jihadists...and we worry that the Saudi intervention is going to indirectly increase the influence of Salafi jihadists in Yemen, and yet the U.S. has been willing to support the Emirati-Saudi campaign.”

Saudi Arabia is often charged with exporting the exact Salafi jihadist ideology that the U.S. is committed to defeating, but Gause explains that this strain of Islamic extremism is not a purely Saudi phenomenon.

He rejects the claim made by Senator Chris Murphy (who introduced legislation to increase oversight of U.S. weapon sales to Saudi Arabia) that the kingdom is only a few degrees removed from terrorists inspired by the ISIS ideology. Gause says that if the Saudis did ever have ideological or political control over Salafism in the past, it has since lost it.

Gause also questions how the U.S. would go about distancing itself from Saudi Arabia. Unlike countries such as Egypt or Jordan, the U.S. does not provide Saudi Arabia with foreign aid that could be suspended. If arm sales were halted, Saudis could easily purchase them elsewhere, and if the intelligence relationship was cut off, it would only serve to harm American interests.

“It’s hard for me to avoid the conclusion that the talk of distancing ourselves from Riyadh has no practical benefit and is simply an emotional reaction. But foreign policy isn’t simply about feeling good about ourselves, it’s about furthering our country’s interests, and having a decent relationship with Saudi Arabia advances those interests.”

May 9-15: Mukalla struck by series of IS bombings, UN talks push forward

Monday, May 9Over 800 workers were evicted from Aden by local pro-secessionist security forces on Sunday. Those forcibly removed from shops, restaurants, and homes in the southern city were mostly from Ta’iz, which is located in north Yemen according to the pre-1990 borders. The security forces, who were appointed by Hadi, deemed the northerners "a threat to security," but Hadi himself quickly condemned the evictions, calling them “unacceptable.”

Mukalla’s airport was reopened following the withdrawal of al-Qaeda forces, who occupied the port city for a year. The first flight reportedly arrived Sunday from the UAE carrying Red Crescent medical supplies.

Tuesday, May 10 US Central Command News Release announced recent drone strikes against al-Qaeda in Yemen. This update was issued at the same time as the Pentagon admitted to deploying “military advisors” in Yemen to assist the UAE in fighting al-Qaeda. “The U.S. military has conducted four counterterrorism airstrikes against the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula terrorist organization in Yemen in recent weeks, killing 10 al-Qaida operatives and injuring one…”

Saudi coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed al-Asiri has accused the Houthis and Saleh of direct cooperation with al-Qaeda. This is despite numerous reports within the last year that Saudi coalition forces have fought alongside al-Qaeda in their battle against the Houthis. Al-Asiri later said that if peace talks in Kuwait fail, the Saudi-led coalition is prepared to launch a military operation to enter San’a.

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that both sides to the Kuwait talks reached an agreement to exchange half of all prisoners within the next 20 days. The number of total prisoners involved is unclear, and may range from a few hundred to a few thousand.

Wednesday, May 11 At least 10 troops were killed in three different attacks by IS militants who detonated car bombs outside military and naval bases in Mukalla. The attacks come a month after the city was retaken from al-Qaeda by Yemeni and UAE forces.

Thursday, May 12 The UN reports that Yemen’s food situation is on the verge of humanitarian disaster unless urgent funding is accessible for the Food and Agriculture Organization. The report states that agriculture must be an integral part of the humanitarian response plan, as aid organizations will not be able to provide the amount of food needed for the 14.4 million Yemenis urgently in need of assistance.

Friday, May 13 UN Envoy Ould Cheikh Ahmed reported that the Houthi and government delegations discussed proposals to bridge the gap between their respective visions, reaching consensus on some issues. He added that “progress is being achieved, albeit at a relatively slow pace.”

Sunday, May 15 The second IS suicide bombing in Mukalla in one week targeted a police base Sunday morning, killing 31 recruits who were waiting outside the building. Sixty were left critically injured.

May 2-8: Direct talks resume in Kuwait, US reveals troop presence in Yemen

Monday, May 2UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed met delegates from Yemen’s warring parties separately on Monday in a bid to restart negotiations after Sunday’s protest walkout by the government. The Hadi delegation withdrew from face-to-face talks after Houthi forces seized an army base north of San’a. 

Tuesday, May 3 According to a recent report released by Transparency International, Yemen has the highest rate of corruption in the Middle East, with nearly four out of five public service users paying bribes. Eighty-four percent of Yemenis believe that corruption has gotten worse in the past year and 91 percent believe that the government is not doing enough to fight corruption. Click here to view the full report.

Wednesday, May 4 Direct negotiations resumed on Wednesday after a three-day suspension. UN envoy Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that the renewed talks would focus on cementing the ceasefire.

A cross-party committee of MPs called on Wednesday for an independent international inquiry into breaches of humanitarian law in Yemen’s war. The committee’s report, which contradicts statements made by the UK’s Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, says: “The evidence we have received, from humanitarian actors operating on the ground in Yemen and respected human rights organisations including UN commissioned evidence, unanimously suggested that humanitarian law (IHL) is being breached...We remain unconvinced that Saudi Arabia is best placed to conduct investigations into reports of IHL abuses by the Saudi-led Coalition." As the second-largest arms supplier to Saudi Arabia, the UK could be implicated in any breach of international law committed by the Saudi-led coalition.

Human Rights Watch released a statement on Wednesday calling on participants to the Yemen peace talks to “support international investigations, transitional justice, and victim compensation as key elements of any agreement.” Numerous violations of international and humanitarian law by both Houthi forces and the Saudi-led coalition have been documented, yet have not resulted in impartial investigations or punishment. The HRW report comes as MSF decided to withdraw from the World Humanitarian Summit due to a lack of confidence that the summit will address weaknesses in humanitarian action and emergency response in conflict zones including Yemen and Syria.

Thursday, May 5 The UN envoy confirmed on Thursday that talks are continuing despite “worrying” violations of the ceasefire. “The peace talks are continuing, we are determined to reach an agreement and this commitment will not wane over time,” Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told reporters.

Dozens of al-Qaeda militants in the Abyan province towns of Zinjibar and Jaar withdrew on Thursday following weeks of mediation with tribal leaders who convinced them to leave rather than face a coalition offensive. The withdrawal comes less than two weeks after Al-Qaeda forces fled Mukalla, which had functioned as a lucrative mini-state for AQAP for over a year.

US officials confirmed that the American military is helping Yemeni, Emirati, and Arab Coalition forces battle al-Qaeda in southern Yemen by providing intelligence, ships, military and medical support, and offering strategic advice. American special operations forces were said to be working at the “headquarters level and are not near the conflict,” but US personnel have reportedly been in the country for two weeks. Spokesperson for the Pentagon Jeff Davis said that the operation is viewed as “short-term.”

Friday, May 6 Seven people were killed and fifteen wounded in an explosion Friday at a qat market in Ma'rib. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Saturday, May 7 A video of French-Tunisian Red Cross employee Nourane Houas, who was kidnapped in Yemen last December, was obtained by France 24 on Friday. Houas is shown pleading with President Hollande to meet the demands of her unidentified captors who, according to France 24’s expert on militant Islamist groups, are likely to be from a local, non-jihadi group.

Yemeni army colonel Badr al-Yafei was assassinated in a drive-by shooting in Aden’s Khormaksar on Saturday. His death is the latest in a string of assassinations of senior officials in the city.

Sunday, May 8 The Houthis accused the coalition on Sunday of launching airstrikes that killed seven people in Nihm. These accusations, along with alleged complaints by the Hadi government of the lack of progress in the negotiations, may hamper the Kuwait talks.

AQAP's strategy to win Yemenis' hearts and minds

Elisabeth Kendall’s recent piece in The Washington Post reveals the true challenges of battling al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and explains why the organization has been able to maintain local support by using what Kendall describes as “Robin Hood” tactics. Despite widespread disapproval of al-Qaeda’s extremist ideology, many Yemenis living in towns controlled by militants will admit that the group has an ability to provide basic services, such as repairing water lines and resolving local disputes--things that Yemen’s government is frequently unable or unwilling to do.

Although AQAP still carried out periodic Sharia punishments, such as execution for adultery or sorcery and amputation for theft, its primary emphasis had shifted onto local power-sharing models accompanied by an energetic program of community development. To help fund this, it robbed the rich in the name of the poor. Three months ago, AQAP wrote to oil and telecoms companies in Mukalla, demanding large payments ‘in order to meet the needs of the people.’

The strategy of shoring up local support, or at least tolerance, for extremist Islamic groups by providing social services has also been implemented by the Islamic State group, Hezbollah, and the Muslim Brotherhood. This strategy is particularly effective in a war-torn country like Yemen, where militant groups can provide relative stability in the face of governmental ineptitude and dire need for basic services.

Kendall also notes that the recent ‘defeat’ of al-Qaeda in Mukalla, resulting in their departure from the city, may have, in fact, constituted an ideological victory for the group, as residents saw their decision to withdraw rather than fight as an effort to avoid civilian casualties.

Kendall concludes that the best strategy for fighting al-Qaeda may lie at the local level, rather than a military or “top-down” approach. As long as al-Qaeda is the only actor providing much-needed aid and support to Yemen’s marginalized communities, they will remain a strong and influential presence in the country.

April 25-May 1: Face-to-face talks begin, are later suspended due to 'violations'

Monday, April 25The port city of Mukalla, which has been controlled by al-Qaeda for over a year, was recaptured on Monday by Saudi and UAE forces and local Yemeni fighters. The coalition forces claimed to have killed 800 al-Qaeda militants in the first hour of fighting in south Yemen, but these numbers are highly disputed. The campaign, however, does mark an unprecedented push by the coalition to expel the group from their southern Yemen strongholds. Reporting on this expulsion, pro-Houthi outlet Al-Masirah accused the coalition of using the fight against terrorism as a pretext to launch an operation that in fact aims to gain control of southern Yemen.

The body of Omar Mohammed Batawil, a young man from Aden who was abducted from his home on Sunday, was found with gunshot wounds in Sheikh Osman district on Monday. Batawil had received death threats and accusations of atheism because of comments "critical of religion" that he posted on Facebook.

Tuesday, April 26 Houthi representatives and the Hadi government agreed on Tuesday on an agenda for the UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait. Previous differences over the agenda had initially prevented the negotiations from taking place.

Wednesday, April 27 UK Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood has said that the Saudi inquiry into their own bombing campaign has been “frustratingly slow,” and that the Saudi government needs to admit to any mistakes made. “Ministers also said that they would not revoke any of the UK’s multi-billion arms exports licences to Saudi Arabia until the Saudi government has completed the report into repeated specific allegations that it has been bombing civilians indiscriminately.”

Thursday, April 28 A suicide car bomb targeted the home of Aden security chief Shelal Ali Shayyeh on Thursday. The police chief was not harmed in the attack, but two people were reportedly wounded after guards fired at the car, which then exploded.

Both the Hadi government and the Houthis began discussing key issues on Thursday following the approval by both parties of the agenda for the peace talks. "Besides discussing ways to firm up an ongoing cease-fire, delegates also tackled 'the issues related to the withdrawal of armed groups, handover of heavy weapons, resumption of the political transition and the release of prisoners and detainees,' UN envoy Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement."

Friday, April 29 Following Thursday’s attempted assassination of police chief Shelal Ali Shayyeh, an unidentified gunman fatally shot Colonel Marwan Abdulhalim on Friday in central Aden.

Saturday, April 30 Direct talks began on Saturday between the Houthi and Hadi government delegations. This is the first time the opposing parties have met face-to-face, as most of the negotiations up until this point were conducted by UN envoy Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdul-Salam said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia has handed over 40 prisoners as part of an agreement to quell border fighting. Twenty of those released had been captured in Yemen.

Thousands of residents reportedly marched in Ta’iz to call for enforcement of the ceasefire and an end to the country’s fighting. Hundreds were also said to have marched in Zinjibar to demand the withdrawal of al-Qaeda.

Sunday, May 1 During the direct negotiations, the Houthi and Hadi government delegations each presented their views on ending the conflict. The Houthis reportedly called for a political solution to be reached before UN resolution 2216 could be implemented, which requires the Houthis to hand over weapons and withdraw from seized territory. The Hadi government is said to see this move as another attempt by the Houthis to evade a resolution that would require them to give up their arms.

The Houthis reportedly seized Umaliqa base in Amran governorate north of San'a at dawn on Sunday. The Houthi forces stormed the base and seized its weapons. A number of the base's soldiers were killed during the assault. Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi, Hadi’s foreign minister and top delegate to the negotiations, said the move has "torpedoed" the talks. The Hadi government suspended direct talks shortly thereafter, but said that representatives would remain in Kuwait to conduct indirect talks with the Houthis.

Aden’s security chief Shelal Ali Shayyeh was the target of a second assassination attempt in less than a week after a car bomb in front of a government building in the city’s central square exploded on Sunday, killing four soldiers and wounding eight others. Shayyeh was not harmed in either attack.

April 18-24: Little progress made during talks following 3-day postponement

Monday, April 18The peace talks that were set to begin in Kuwait on Monday were delayed after the Houthi delegation failed to arrive. A senior Houthi official told Reuters that "there's no point in going...if there's no respect for the ceasefire." Both sides have been accused of breaking the ceasefire that began on April 11.

Official Houthi spokesman Muhammad Abdelsalam explained that the absence of Houthi representatives at the Kuwait talks was due to coalition airstrikes, in violation of the ceasefire, and the lack of any UN condemnation of these strikes. Abdelsalam accused the UN of being unable to put forth a clear agenda that would make a final solution to the conflict possible, adding that the Houthis “will not go [to the talks] to recognize that the other party is the legitimate ruler of Yemen.”

Tuesday, April 19 Talks were postponed for a second day as the UN’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urged participation in good faith from all parties.

Wednesday, April 20 Houthi representative Mahdi al-Mashat announced on Facebook that a delegation would be traveling to Kuwait on Wednesday to participate in the peace talks, adding that the Houthis “reserve the right to suspend participation if the promises are not kept."

Thursday, April 21 After a three-day delay, talks between the Houthis and the Hadi government began in Kuwait. The negotiations are based on UN Security Council resolution 2216 which calls for Houthi fighters to withdraw from seized territory and hand over their weapons to the government, conditions that the Houthi delegation is unlikely to agree to.

In line with an order from the UN, all of former president Saleh’s assets in Turkey have been frozen, according to the Official Gazette. Although the value of his assets in Turkey was not revealed, UN investigators estimate that during his rule, Saleh amassed up to $60 billion (equivalent to Yemen's annual GDP) and transferred much of his wealth to foreign accounts under fake names.

Friday, April 22 Peace talks resumed for their second day, with Britain’s Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond saying that “only a political solution can bring an end to the conflict,” while urging the return of “Yemen’s legitimate government.”

Saturday, April 23 Saudi and Emirati forces launched an operation along with local Yemeni fighters to push al-Qaeda out of the southern port city of Mukalla. This marks a turning point in the coalition’s military operations, as most campaigns have targeted the Houthis rather than AQAP.

Sunday, April 24 UN Special Envoy Ould Cheikh Ahmed decided to suspend Sunday's session of Yemen's peace talks due to a lack of progress. The Houthis claim to have the upper hand in negotiations and therefore want more of a say in the government, while the Hadi government insists that the Houthis hand over their weapons and pull out of major cities.

The coalition’s offensive against al-Qaeda continued early on Sunday, with Saudi and Emirati airstrikes providing cover for on-the-ground fighters. Forces reportedly entered eastern Mukalla, driving out al-Qaeda militants. The death toll on both sides is still unclear. Some view this offensive as an attempt by the Saudis to gain control of southern Yemen, while others believe it was prompted by Obama’s recent visit to Riyadh where he may have expressed concerns that the Saudi-led war in Yemen is empowering al-Qaeda.

Senator Murphy speaks to Brookings about revisiting US-Saudi relations

Chris Murphy (D-CT), the US senator who introduced a bill earlier this month to impose limitations on the transfer of US munitions to Saudi Arabia, spoke to the Brookings Institution about why the US should reassess its policies towards the kingdom. In his discussion with Brookings Senior Fellows Bruce Riedel and Tamara Wittes, Murphy acknowledges the important alliance that exists between the two countries, but says that “as time goes on it’s harder and harder to ignore the holes in the relationship,” including Saudi support for an “intolerant brand of Islam” that is often the inspiration for the exact terrorist groups the US aims to defeat.

Senator Murphy cites the war in Yemen as an example of how unwavering US support for the kingdom is sometimes at odds with constructive American foreign policy.

“I think the war in Yemen is example A of a military objective by the Saudis that does not run in accordance with US national security interests…We are overt in our support for this engagement given that it is US munitions that are being dropped, it is US refueling planes that are allowing the missions to continue, and it is US intelligence that is providing information for the targeting.”

The Yemen case provides us with the opportunity to, frankly, reset this relationship because I think it is very hard, if not impossible, to argue that the way in which this war is being conducted today is in the best interests of the United States.

Riedel emphasized that the US does have the power to end the war in Yemen: “If the United States of America and the United Kingdom tonight told King Salman, ‘this war has to end,’ it would end tomorrow because the Royal Saudi Air Force cannot operate without American and British support.”

Riedel added that “what Saudi Arabia has been doing for the last year in Yemen is effectively driving drunk. It’s time for the United States to get out of the back seat and tell the Saudis, “let’s find a way to end this war, which is in our mutual interest.”

Here is a summary of the Murphy-Paul bill that was introduced to Senate on April 13, which would require certification that a number of conditions were met before transferring US weapons to Saudi Arabia.

Congressmen Ted Lieu and Ted Yoho introduced a supporting bill to the House on April 20. H.J. Res 90 would limit the transfer of munitions until Saudi Arabia can demonstrate that it is taking “all feasible precautions” not to harm civilians and making “demonstrable efforts to facilitate the flow of critical humanitarian aid.”

Museums around the world celebrate Yemeni Heritage Week

UNESCO and ten leading museums around the world are marking Yemeni Heritage Week from April 23-30 to raise awareness about Yemen and its unique culture and history. Participating museums include New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Freer and Sackler galleries in Washington, D.C., which will exhibit their finest ancient south Arabian artifacts and works of art. This initiative aims to bring attention to Yemen’s rich cultural heritage and the danger which it is now facing due to the ongoing war and political strife. As Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova says in her forward for Yemeni Heritage Week, the conflict “is placing unique heritage at the risk of total destruction...Whenever culture is attacked, we must stand together and respond with even more culture and knowledge, to foster mutual understanding and safeguard the heritage shared by all humanity.”

This week hopes to attract well-deserved attention to Yemen's rich history and artifacts by highlighting "their unique beauty, knowledge, and wisdom."

If you have the chance, don't miss out on these wonderful exhibits. For the full list of participating museums, click here.

April 11-17: Shaky ceasefire takes hold one week before scheduled peace talks

Monday, April 11Yemen’s ceasefire, which was scheduled to begin at midnight on April 10, was delayed 24 hours. Soon after the truce took hold on Monday, both sides accused one another of breaking it. The typically pro-Hadi government site Mareb Press reported violations by Houthi forces, while the pro-Houthi outlet Al-Masirah documented continued Saudi-led coalition airstrikes near San’a, Ta’iz, and other provinces. Despite these violations, the ceasefire remained in place. 

Tuesday, April 12 Four people were killed and eight others wounded in Aden on Tuesday when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a group of young army recruits. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Wednesday, April 13 Mareb Press reported that a pro-Hadi military commander was killed in Nihm, east of San’a, during clashes with Houthi forces. The source claims that Houthi fighters initiated the attack in violation of the ongoing ceasefire and a number of the rebels were killed and injured in the exchange. Here is the same story, from the Gulf News perspective.

Local tribal officials and officers were dispatched on Wednesday to the provinces of Marib, Ta’iz, and Hajjah to act as ceasefire monitors in an attempt to stop truce violations and allow humanitarian aid to pass through.

US Senators Chris Murphy and Rand Paul introduced a resolution that would place conditions on US arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The proposal comes after Human Rights Watch revealed that US-supplied weapons were used in the Saudi-led airstrikes on a Hajjah market in March, which killed at least 119 people, mostly civilians.

Coalition helicopters reportedly struck al-Qaeda militants in Abyan province on Wednesday. At least 10 were killed and a number of others injured in one of the rare occasions that the Saudi-led coalition has directly attacked the militant group.

Thursday, April 14 Military sources reported on Thursday that 13 pro-Hadi government fighters were killed during attacks by Houthi forces in Nihm, outside of San’a. This is one of many attacks reportedly launched by both sides since the ceasefire began on April 10.

An apparent disagreement between the UK’s Foreign and Home offices was revealed after the Home Office issued an assessment stating that returning refugees to war-torn Yemen would be a breach of human rights due to the ongoing and indiscriminate airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition. The Foreign Office, however, says that the government should not indulge these claims by “special interest groups” (meaning human rights groups and charities) that have repeatedly documented Saudi war crimes.

Friday, April 15 Yemeni forces, backed by Apache helicopters from a Saudi-led coalition, recaptured the city of Houta in southern Lahj province from al-Qaeda fighters after a gun battle on Friday morning.

The United States is considering a request from the UAE for military support to wage an offensive in Yemen against AQAP, according to US officials. The UAE is reportedly asking the US for help with medical evacuation and combat search and rescue as part of a broad request for American air power, intelligence, and logistics support in fighting al-Qaeda.

Saturday, April 16 The US transferred on Saturday nine Yemeni detainees from Guantánamo Bay to Saudi Arabia, completing a long-sought diplomatic deal ahead of Obama’s visit to Riyadh in the coming week. There are now 80 prisoners left in Guantanamo, 43 of whom are from Yemen.

Local Yemeni committees agreed on Saturday to begin monitoring the ceasefire, according to security officials. Monitors in Ta’iz agreed to exchange records of prisoners in preparation to release them, while also agreeing to open roads to Ta’iz, which the Houthis have besieged for nearly a year.

Sunday, April 17 Both sides appeared to be ready for Monday’s peace talks in Kuwait, with Hadi’s Foreign Minister Abdel Malek al-Mekhlafi saying, “We are ready for a political transition which excludes no one...The world now looks to the Kuwait consultations as a landmark of peace for Yemenis, and we will give everything we can to alleviate the suffering of the people.” Meanwhile, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, spokesman for the Houthis, told Kuwaiti newspaper al-Rai that "There should be a consensus authority during a definite transitional phase to decide every political dispute," adding that "Iran does not have any role in our sovereign decisions and we are not tools in anyone's hands."

Crisis Group: Can the Kuwait peace talks break Yemen’s deadlock?

Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for the Arabian Peninsula, April Longley Alley, explains in a Q&A why she is cautiously hopeful that this week’s negotiations in Kuwait may see the return of a political process to Yemen. According to Alley, both parties to the war are facing increased pressure to end the conflict. The Houthis have been pushed back on several fronts and are encountering serious economic challenges, making them more open to negotiations. Meanwhile, the Saudis are facing both a tightened budget and pressure from the international community and humanitarian rights organizations to end the war.

What we can say for sure is that this is the best chance that Yemen has had since the beginning of the war to return to a political process. For the first time, the two protagonists with the capacity to end major combat, the Houthis and the Saudis, seem more willing than ever to do so.

Despite the clear advantages of ending the conflict, there are many potential spoilers to a deal. The ongoing ceasefire, which began on midnight on April 11, was quickly violated by both parties, although it is still holding better than previous ceasefires.

Furthermore, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and President Abdu Rabbuh Mansour Hadi both pose threats to the peace process. Saleh, who has consistently been excluded from talks with the Saudis despite his allegiance with the Houthis, is likely to be a spoiler for current negotiations. Hadi, meanwhile, insists on fully implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2216, which would unrealistically require the Houthis to disarm and withdraw from all seized territory.

As it stands, the ongoing talks in Kuwait do not represent all Yemeni factions relevant to the conflict. As Alley explains, the talks would need to be broadened to ensure an extended ceasefire and resolve political issues such as the timing of elections, transitional justice and state structure.

Of the five focus points of the negotiations outlined by the UN, the most critical, according to Alley, is an agreement on mutually acceptable interim security arrangements, which could provide an environment that facilitates the return of a government.

This opportunity to end the war in Yemen and find a political resolution cannot be missed, say Alley.

“If this chance is not seized, we might be back to a situation where Yemen is off the radar again...with continuing devastating consequences for the civilian population.”

Senators introduce bill to halt US arms transfers to Saudi Arabia

Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced legislation on Wednesday to halt the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia until limitations are imposed on the transfer of US munitions to the kingdom. The Murphy-Paul bill would require the president to provide a briefing on the weapons’ usage and certify that a number of conditions were met before the transfer of any US munitions to Saudi Arabia.

This joint resolution comes after repeated accusations that the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has launched airstrikes in violation of international humanitarian law. One of the most severe violations by the coalition was a March airstrike on a Hajjah market that killed over 119 people, mostly civilians, including many children. It was later discovered by Human Rights Watch that munitions used in this attack (the deadliest since the airstrikes began a year ago) were supplied by the United States.

'The more it drags on, the clearer it becomes that our military involvement on behalf of the Saudi-led coalition is prolonging human suffering in Yemen and aiding the very groups that are intent on attacking us,' said Murphy. 

The conditions required prior to any future weapon sales include a certification that Saudi Arabia “is not providing funding, material support, or lethal aid to individuals or groups designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations,” and that the kingdom and its coalition partners “are taking all feasible precautions to reduce the risk of harm to civilians and civilian objects to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law…”

The bill would also require that Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners are making demonstrable efforts to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid in war-torn Yemen. The final condition is that Saudi Arabia take all necessary measures to target designated foreign terrorist organizations, including AQAP (al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) and affiliates of the Islamic State group.

In addition to those conditions, the president would need to provide a briefing prior to any weapons sales that includes a description of “the nature, content, costs, and purposes of any United States support…” along with assessments of whether the kingdom’s military operations constitute legitimate self-defense.

The briefing would also assess whether the coalition has deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure and whether Saudi armed forces have used US munitions in any attacks against civilians or civilian infrastructure in Yemen since airstrikes began over a year ago.

Finally, the briefing would outline how US defense equipment transferred to Saudi Arabia would contribute to US efforts to defeat AQAP and the Islamic State group while also promoting US foreign policy and national security objectives in the region.

Under current US law, Congress must be notified of arms sales to foreign governments and legislators must approve these transfers. In practice, however, this process is often too automated to provide any accurate assessment of the use of American weapons abroad.

Here you can watch Senator Murphy discuss the US-Saudi partnership at a Brookings event on April 22.

April 4-10: Fighting continues in lead-up to Sunday ceasefire

Monday, April 4Following Hadi’s unexpected cabinet reshuffle on Sunday, a 10-member group of Yemeni politicians said in a statement that they “completely support” the appointments of General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar as the new vice president and Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr as the new prime minister, who are replacing Khaled Bahah in both posts. The signing parties included The Southern Movement and The General People's Congress.

Weapons reportedly being shipped from Iran to Yemen were seized on March 28, according to a US Navy statement released on Monday. The weapons were hidden on a small boat and included AK-47s, RPGs, and .50 caliber machine guns.   The seizure comes eight days after another cache of weapons heading to Somalia was confiscated by French authorities.

Tuesday, April 5 Yemen's former vice president and prime minister Bahah, who was sacked by Hadi on Sunday, says that his removal is a "coup against legitimacy" that undermines the cabinet and its efforts to end the war. An unnamed Yemeni government official also said the shake-up might undermine the peace talks scheduled to start in Kuwait on April 18.

According to AlAraby, the leaked Panama Papers reveal that a number of offshore companies used as tax havens were founded by the family of Yemen’s prominent businessman, and close friend of Saleh, Shaher Abdulhak.

Thursday, April 7 Human Rights Watch released a report on Thursday which revealed that remnants of US-supplied weapons were found at the site of the Saudi coalition’s March 15 attack on the Hajjah market, which killed 97 civilians, including 25 children. Evidence of US-supplied MK-84 2,000-pound bomb mated with a JDAM satellite guidance kit, also US-supplied, were found at the site. The attack was the war’s deadliest so far.

Al-Masirah and a number of other outlets in Yemen reported airstrikes on Thursday in San’a, Bayda, Ma’rib, and Hajjah. These strikes came three days before the ceasefire was set to begin.

Friday, April 8 In comments to Middle East Eye, Houthi sources explain why Hadi will never be accepted as Yemen’s leader or as part of the post-war government. Hadi’s recent dismissal of his former prime minister and vice president Bahah isolates Hadi further, as Bahah’s supporters see this move as an attempt by Hadi to cling to power at the expense of upcoming peace talks.

Reuters reports that al-Qaeda in Yemen is one of the main benefactors of the Saudi-led war. As a result of the country’s destabilization, the group has managed to establish an “economic empire” in the port city of Mukalla and has gained over $100 million in stolen bank deposits and revenue, earning $2 million per day from taxes on goods and fuel.

Saturday, April 9 At least 20 pro-Hadi government soldiers were kidnapped and executed and 17 others were injured in southern Yemen’s Abyan province on Saturday, according to local officials. A military source says the killings were carried out by al-Qaeda, but the group denies these accusations, claiming that a local armed gang led by a man named Ali Aqeel is responsible for the incident.

An American man held in San'a was reportedly released by the Houthis after Omani negotiators interceded on his behalf. The man was flown from San'a to Muscat, according to a statement by Oman's foreign ministry. No details about the man have yet been provided.

Sunday, April 10 Hours before the ceasefire was due to start, clashes between pro-Hadi forces and Houthi fighters broke out north of Sana’a, in Ta’iz, and in Bayda province, where 20 people were killed. The ceasefire was postponed, however, by 24 hours and began midnight on Monday.

March 28-April 3: Hadi appoints new prime minister, vice president; 118 prisoners swapped

Monday, March 28The Saudi-led coalition said on Monday that it swapped 109 Yemeni prisoners for nine Saudis held by Houthi forces. The Houthis announced the exchange on Sunday. This is the second prisoner swap in a month following the March 9 exchange of seven Yemenis for a Saudi lieutenant.

Tuesday, March 29 A UNICEF press release published on Tuesday highlights the toll that the year-long war has taken on Yemen’s children and pressures all parties to put an end to the fighting: “UNICEF verified more than 1,560 incidents of grave violations against children in Yemen. As a result, over 900 children were killed and more than 1,300 were injured in the past year alone. On average, at least six children have been killed or injured every day...These numbers represent the tip of the iceberg as they only indicate the cases that UNICEF was able to verify.”

Hadi published an opinion piece in the New York Times on Tuesday in an attempt to explain why the year-long war has in fact been beneficial to Yemen and the region. Hadi assures readers that a resolution is on the horizon and that “the country’s outlook is brighter today than at any time over the past year.” For insight into the evolution of Hadi’s rhetoric surrounding the conflict, see this piece he published in the New York Times a year earlier.

Wednesday, March 30 Pro-Hadi government forces claimed to have pushed al-Qaeda out of parts of Aden on Wednesday after a three-hour gun battle. Troops and militia were said to have retaken the central prison, deployed on main roads across the Mansourah district, and arrested a number of al-Qaeda members. The partial reclamation comes following coalition and US airstrikes on al-Qaeda targets in Mukalla and Zinjibar.

Thursday, March 31 A large weapons cache on a ship headed for Somalia was reportedly seized by French authorities on March 20. A spokesman for the US Navy’s 5th Fleet told CNN that the arms originated in Iran and their likely destination was Yemen, but he did not specify that the arms were intended for the Houthis. The ship’s crew was released by French authorities.

Houthis mounted a deadly counterattack on Tuesday and Wednesday against government troops advancing down the Red Sea coast from the Saudi border, AFP reported on Thursday. According to military sources, 45 loyalist troops and at least 15 Houthi fighters were killed during clashes in the coastal town of Midi.

Friday, April 1 The UN Special Envoy to Yemen welcomed Monday’s prisoner swap between the Houthis and the Saudis, saying "these initiatives reinforce the spirit of the confidence building measures...and there is no doubt that they can provide an important drive to the political process.” The comments come two and a half weeks ahead of planned talks in Kuwait.

Sunday, April 3 Hadi appointed a new prime minister and vice president on Sunday in a surprise shake-up of senior officials. Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who was appointed deputy commander of the armed forces in late February, has been named Yemen's new vice president, while Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, a former official in Saleh's General People's Congress party, is replacing Khaled Bahah as Yemen’s prime minister. Bahah will reportedly now serve as presidential advisor. According to Hadi, the decision to replace Bahah was "due to the failures that have accompanied the performance of the government during the past period in the fields of economy, services and security.” 

March 21-27: Parties agree to ceasefire and talks; US strikes kill AQAP suspects

Monday, March 21Talks in San’a on Sunday between Houthi rebels and UN Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed resulted in an agreement on a ceasefire prior to upcoming talks in Kuwait. Later on in the week it was revealed that the ceasefire is set to begin on April 10 while negotiations will commence on April 18.

Nineteen Yemeni Jews were airlifted to Israel from Raydah and San’a over the weekend in an operation organized by the Jewish Agency, which has brought approximately 200 Yemeni Jews to Israel in recent years. Approximately 50 Jews remain in Yemen, many of whom live in a compound close to the US embassy in San’a. The new arrivals in Israel brought with them a Torah scroll believed to be between 500 and 600 years old.

Human Rights Watch released a statement on Monday urging all countries, especially the US, the UK, and France, to suspend all weapons sales to Saudi Arabia until it ceases carrying out unlawful airstrikes in Yemen, which have led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians. HRW also demands that Saudi Arabia conduct credible investigations into these repeated violations of international humanitarian law. https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/21/yemen-embargo-arms-saudi-arabia

Tuesday, March 22 At least 50 alleged al-Qaeda militants were killed in a US drone strike on their training camp west of al-Mukalla. The mass-casualty strike was announced by the Pentagon, and later confirmed by local medics and a Yemeni official who reported that those killed were members of al-Qaeda.

Wednesday, March 23 The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, confirmed on Wednesday that all parties to the Yemen conflict have agreed to a cessation of hostilities set to begin on midnight on April 10, preceding peace talks in Kuwait on April 18.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that the talks will be carried out “under the umbrella of three pillars: the GCC initiative, the National Dialogue, and UN resolution 2216” and will work towards ”reaching a comprehensive agreement, which will end the conflict and allow the resumption of inclusive political dialogue in accordance with resolution 2216 and other relevant UN resolutions.”

Friday, March 25 Three suicide bombings killed 26 people in Aden on Friday. IS claimed responsibility for the attacks, which targeted military checkpoints, two of which were near a coalition base.

Saturday, March 26 Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of the Saudi-led coalition’s military intervention in Yemen. Mass demonstrations, which former president Saleh called for in a speech on March 23, were held in San’a to protest the coalition’s ongoing war in Yemen. Mareb Press, however, reported that celebrations in Aden and Ma’rib celebrated the one year anniversary.

Sunday, March 27 The Independent reported on Sunday that the UAE fighter jet which crashed into a mountainside near Aden on March 14 was in fact shot down by al-Qaeda using a Russian-made surface-to-air missile. This contradicts earlier reports that claim the jet experienced a technical malfunction, leading to the crash which killed both pilots aboard.

US airstrikes killed 14 suspected al-Qaeda militants on Sunday in Abyan province, according to local medics and residents. The aircraft reportedly bombed buildings used by al-Qaeda and destroyed a government intelligence headquarters in the provincial capital Zinjibar that the militants had captured and were using as a base.

"No longer just a year"

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Saudi Arabia's entrance into Yemen's war. The war takes different shapes in different parts of the country, and all parties to the conflict have committed horrible acts of violence against Yemeni civilians. For residents of the capital, San‘a, the past year has been defined by daily airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition. This post was sent to us by a special guest contributor, Fatima Noman. Fatima is 17 years old, and in her fourth year of high school. 365 days are no longer just a year

Tell me how did you spend the last 365 days? Did you end up getting that job offer? Did you get that scholarship you were working so hard to get? Did you graduate high school/university or perhaps you just got your PhD! Whatever you achieved I congratulate you! Well I'd like to speak of my 365 days. You know how we always chant the phrase day by day it all seems the same but looking back it's so different. I aged a life time within 365 days. I have experienced so much from fleeing my home to running down a set of 70 stairs in fear of a jet blowing up our third floor. Crying for nights and nights feeling death encircling me to laughing to the sound of explosions. Yes, I have lived some of the worst days of my life but I wouldn't change them for the world. Only now have I realized what an enormous amount of pride comes with being Yemeni.

I am now in my senior year and I have broke down into fits of tears more times than I can count in school due to the sudden air raids but my friends support me with a jolt of strength I've never experienced before. This year everything is so different. once I was crying in class from a mix of fear and stress then suddenly the whole class surrounded me with a group hug and I don't remember feeling so loved in my entire life. This coalition has done and is still doing damage that seems irreparable at time but one thing that no one but them has managed to do is unite this country into one.

I feel so complete. Now I know I am capable of facing anything life throws at me, I know I am strong enough. I will always have a constant reminder of my strength the blood of the martyrs who sacrificed everything for me to be able to live a life, a life worth living. It's truly quite peculiar how even though death has the key to my back door I sleep safe and sound. I still do get grounded and I still am clumsy you'd think death would make me a bit more graceful but nope! I still am the same girl who runs around tables and makes weird faces at my mom to make her laugh cause oh boy does her laugh make me feel five again.

365 days are enough to change people's perspectives, their ideologies. 365 days of undeniable strength, of determination. 365 days are no longer just a year.

You can read more of Fatima's reflections on life during wartime on her blog, here.

UN Envoy announces cessation of hostilities, peace talks - UN

The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, announced on March 23 that all parties to the Yemen conflict have agreed to a cessation of hostilities set to begin on midnight on April 10, preceding peace talks that are scheduled to take place in Kuwait on April 18. According to Ahmed, the talks will be carried out “under the umbrella of three pillars: the GCC initiative, the National Dialogue, and UN resolution 2216” and will work towards ”reaching a comprehensive agreement, which will end the conflict and allow the resumption of inclusive political dialogue in accordance with resolution 2216 and other relevant UN resolutions.”

The envoy further explained that the talks will focus on five main areas; he has asked the parties to present concept papers on each of them by 3 April.

1. the withdrawal of militias and armed groups
2. the handover of heavy weapons to the State
3. interim security arrangements
4. the restoration of state institutions and the resumption of inclusive political dialogue
5. the creation of a special committee for prisoners and detainees

Ahmed has said that “only a political solution and inclusive peace process will ensure a future of reconciliation and peace in the country,” but many analysts remain skeptical that the upcoming negotiations in Kuwait will accomplish any of the above goals, citing previous UN-brokered talks on Yemen that have failed to reach any agreement.

The UN envoy, however, says that there are signs of hope that this round of talks will be different, such as recent humanitarian breakthroughs in Ta’iz and successful tribal-mediated negotiations that led to a Houthi-Saudi prisoner exchange and temporary border calm earlier this month. He also added that the parties “are closer than ever [to a peace agreement] and we have the conviction that if we fail this time this is probably one of our last chances to get an end to this war.”

A video of Special Envoy Ahmed's press conference can be found here.