Saudi coalition hits Yemen rebels; UN sets peace talks date

SANAA — The Saudi-led coalition bombed Shiite rebels in at least five northern Yemeni provinces on Wednesday as the United Nations set the date for peace talks on the country's crisis for next week in Geneva.

It was not immediately clear if any of the warring factions would attend the talks. The internationally recognised government of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, now in exile in Saudi Arabia, has demanded that the rebels, known as Houthis, first pull out of towns and cities, including the capital, Sanaa, which they captured in a power grab that started last year.

In a statement from the UN in New York, the world body said it would host the talks in Switzerland, starting on May 28. UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged all parties to engage in the talks "without pre-conditions”, stressing the only way to resolve Yemen's conflict is an "inclusive, negotiated political settlement”.

Speaking to reporters in New York, Yemen's UN Ambassador Khaled Alyemany said both Hadi's side and the Houthis will attend, adding that the government will be represented at a high level in Geneva, perhaps by the vice president.

Aleymany said Ban would also attend the talks, though the UN has not officially said that.

But a top Hadi aide, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media, said the government would not give up its condition for the talks.

The UN announcement came after UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed held meetings with rival political players in Yemen earlier this month. The Iranian-backed Houthis at the time expressed readiness to resume peace talks, insisting they take place in "neutral" country.

Alyemany told reporters that Houthis appear to have reached the moment of "wanting to talk" though they showed no signs of wanting to "give up what they consider their expansions on the ground”.

Western countries accuse Shiite power Iran of backing the Houthis, something the Islamic Republic and the rebels deny. Alyemany said Iran was not invited to the Geneva talks, and that none of the Houthi figures and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh who are on a UN sanctions list would attend.

The rebels and their allies, Saleh loyalists, captured Sanaa in September and are in control of much of the northern provinces. They boycotted a gathering held in Saudi capital, Riyadh, this week that was billed as a peace conference on Yemen.

Hadi and his Saudi allies have insisted before — and a Security Council resolution has demanded the Houthis withdraw prior to any formal talks. The UN Security Council recently imposed an arms embargo on Houthi leaders and on Saleh, who had stepped down in early 2012 as part of the UN-guided transition after months-long uprising.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition continued to pound the Houthis and their allies Wednesday in at least five northern provinces under rebel control, including Sanaa. In the western city of Ibb, warplanes struck a police commando camp run by Saleh's loyalists, killing at least 12 and wounding 17, officials said.

In the war-torn strategic port city of Aden, the rebels and their allies randomly shelled residential areas, killing one woman and wounding three.

The Houthis also continued to retaliate for the Saudi-led attacks by engaging in clashes in the border area of Jizan on Wednesday and killing one Saudi soldier, according to Saudi news site Sabq.

The Yemeni conflict has killed 1,820 people and wounded 7,330 since March 19, according to UN estimates. The estimates also show that nearly a half million people at least have been displaced in the period since the beginning of the fighting until May 7.

Also Wednesday, international aid groups urged warring parties to agree to a ceasefire so that badly-needed humanitarian aid can be delivered. A five-day truce that was breached several times and expired this week was not enough, said Oxfam.

"The amount of aid allowed in barely scratched the surface of the humanitarian catastrophe," said Grace Ommer, Oxfam's director for Yemen.

An Iranian cargo ship carrying humanitarian aid is due to arrive in Yemen on Thursday. Iran's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham, told reporters in Tehran that the ship was sailing toward Yemen in coordination with the UN, the Red Cross and others.

She warned against any interception of the ship by the Saudi-led coalition.

"If they show any behavior in opposition to this coordinated process, not only will we react, but also the relevant international organisations will show reaction to that," she said.

Last week, Ban's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, denied any UN knowledge of such coordination. "The UN is not aware of a request from Iran to facilitate the docking in Yemen for humanitarian supplies," he said at the time.

Yemen's conflict has also stranded thousands of Yemenis abroad, after the Saudi-led coalition imposed an air and sea blockade.

On Wednesday, 352 Yemenis aboard two planes, from Egypt and India, landed in Sanaa, according to airport officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media.