The United Nations is proposing a peace plan that urges Houthi fighters to surrender ballistic missiles in exchange for an end to the bombings against them by a Saudi-led coalition, according to a Reuters report Wednesday.
The plan will also attempt to create a new transitional government that will include Houthi participation, a deal the central government feels is necessary in order to force Houthis to give up control of the nation’s capital, Sanaa.
The Iranian backed Houthi radicals have fought a brutal civil war in Yemen against government forces who have been supported by troops from U.S. allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The bloody battle has escalated since 2014 when the Houthis took control of the capital city and the war has claimed the lives of over 10,000 people, according to the United Nations. (RELATED: Saudi Airstrikes Blow Up Wedding Party In Yemen, Killing Dozens)
Houthi forces have launched rockets at their neighbor Saudi Arabia, and killed thousands of civilians in artillery attacks on nearby cities such as Taizz and Aden, according to reports by Human Rights Watch.
“The intention is to link security and political aspects starting with a cessation of fighting … then to move towards a withdrawal of forces and the formation of a national unity government. This last objective could possibly be the hardest,” one source close to the issue said to Reuters.
Supporters of the peace plan hope the attempt will bring stability to the nation that has been ridden with fighting for years.
“Politically, there is a necessity to back the U.N. effort. It will ultimately mean a transition, to a new political order in Yemen,” Anwar Gargash, the UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, told UAE newspaper The National.
Follow Vandana on Twitter
Send tips to vandana@dailycallernewsfoundation.org
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.