Houthi rebels set 2 conditions for opening of road closed for 9 years

The Houthi rebels on Saturday called on the Yemeni government to sign a charter prohibiting the detention of transients at military points, in preparation for opening the Marib-Sanaa road, which has been closed for about nine years.

"We want to ensure that the roads are opened in two steps: the first is to release imprisoned persons who were previously arrested at security and military points while traveling or returning to Yemen, and the second is to sign a pact that no one passing through the points will be arrested," Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi, a member of the group's Supreme Political Council, said in a statement on X.

There was no immediate comment from the Yemeni government on the Houthi statement.

The Yemeni government had previously repeatedly accused the group of detaining many citizens and activists on the roads.

The Houthi position came as the Yemeni government on Thursday announced to open the Marib-Sanaa road, calling on the Houthis to take a similar measure.

The road connects the Marib Governorate, which is under government control, and the capital Sanaa, which is under the control of the Houthi rebels.

The road has remained cut off since the start of the war in the country in March 2015.

In late December 2023, the UN announced the commitment of the Yemeni government and the Houthi group to a set of measures for a comprehensive cease-fire throughout the country.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014 when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including Sanaa. The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

Since then, tens of thousands of Yemenis, including many civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, while 14 million are at risk of starvation, according to the UN.