Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Iran-backed Houthi movement have agreed to release about 2,900 detainees in the largest prisoner exchange since the country’s civil war began more than a decade ago, Saudi and Houthi officials said on Monday.
Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohamed AlJabir announced the agreement in a post on X, saying it was reached under the supervision of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The deal, he said, will allow detainees from all sides to return to their families.
AlJabir praised the negotiating teams for resolving a key humanitarian issue, noting that the agreement could help reduce tensions and build confidence between the rival sides.
Houthi officials confirmed that the exchange includes Yemeni detainees as well as foreign nationals. Abdelkader al-Murtada, head of the Houthis’ National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs, said the deal covers the release of seven Saudi and 23 Sudanese detainees in addition to Yemeni prisoners. Houthi spokesperson Mohamed Abdulsalam also acknowledged the agreement.
The deal was reached during talks in Oman’s capital, Muscat, with the involvement of Saudi officials. It marks the largest exchange between the Houthis and the internationally recognised government since fighting erupted in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen.
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, welcomed the agreement, calling it a positive and meaningful step that could ease the suffering of detainees and their families across the war-torn country.
The agreement followed a 12-day round of negotiations in Oman and was the 10th meeting aimed at advancing commitments under the 2018 Stockholm Agreement, which calls for the release of all conflict-related detainees, the envoy’s office said.
ICRC Yemen head Christine Cipolla said the organisation stands ready to implement the releases, transfers and repatriations to ensure families are reunited safely and with dignity.
The ICRC previously facilitated the release of more than 800 detainees in 2023 and over 1,000 prisoners in October 2020 as part of similar efforts.
Source: AP