Yemen forms political committee to oversee peace process

Yemen’s internationally recognised government has formed a political committee that will oversee the peace process, an official told The National on Wednesday.

The committee will be led by Foreign Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak and top officials, said the official, who did not want to be named. It will report to Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and is composed of members from the country’s north and south.

It comes as a UN-backed truce between the Iran-backed Houthis and the internationally recognised government expired earlier this month. It came into force in April and raised hopes for a longer pause in fighting as the civil war in Yemen entered its eighth year.

The ceasefire came to an end on October 2. The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, last week expressed his regret that the truce was not extended, saying that this would lead to a further deterioration in the country's situation.

The top UN official said hopes for a renewal are possible and called for the engagement of the two parties.

The war in Yemen started in 2014 after the takeover of the capital Sanaa by the Iran-backed Houthis, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene on behalf of the internationally recognised government.