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                    Yemen Government Agrees to UN Peace Deal

   by VOA News

   Yemen's internationally recognized government has conditionally agreed
   to a U.N. peace plan, the country's minister of foreign affairs said
   Sunday.

   In a series of [1]social media posts, Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi briefly
   outlined the plan that would end nearly two years of armed conflict
   between government forces and the Houthi rebels who overran the capital
   Sanaa in late 2014.

   The agreement in part will require that Houthis hand over weapons and
   withdraw from Sana'a, Taiz and Hodeida in a first phase, according to
   the minister.

   ''

   "The president's authorized the [government] delegation to sign the
   agreement on condition that the other party signs it as well before
   August 7th," al-Mekhlafi wrote. "I sent a letter to the Envoy with the
   approval of the (government) delegation to the Kuwait agreement
   presented by the UN to end the armed conflict."

   The Houthi political takeover pushed President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi
   to resign and flee to Riyadh in early 2015. Saudi Arabia then launched
   an air campaign and naval blockade in March 2015 that have failed to
   oust the Houthis.

   Monitors say at least 6,500 people have been killed during the past two
   years, including more than 3,200 civilians.

   ''

   Kuwait, which is hosting peace talks between the government and rebels,
   indicated Saturday that stalemated negotiations were extended to August
   7 at the request of U.N. peace envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

   The U.N. has struggled since the takeover of Sana'a in September 2014
   to broker a deal between warring factions.

   Houthi leaders said Thursday they are forming a coalition
   administration. The unilateral announcement immediately drew sharp
   criticism from the U.N. secretary general, the six-nation Gulf
   Cooperation Council and ambassadors from 18 other nations.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [2]http://www.voanews.com/content/yemen-government-agrees-to-un-peace-d
   eal/3443102.html

References

   1. https://twitter.com/almekhlafi52
   2. http://www.voanews.com/content/yemen-government-agrees-to-un-peace-deal/3443102.html