The UN envoy for Yemen has announced a new bid for peace talks between the government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Houthis (Ansarallah), AFP reported Sunday (November 27th).
The peace efforts by Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed came as dozens were reported killed in fighting at the weekend, after the latest ceasefire failed to end the 20-month conflict.
The UN envoy said he was heading to Riyadh and Kuwait "to prepare for a new round" of talks, as he left Muscat late Saturday after discussions with the Houthis and their allies.
The UN envoy was to meet Hadi "within two days" in Yemen's port city of Aden to receive the government's response to his peace proposals, Foreign Minister Abdel Malek al-Mekhlafi said.
Hadi flew to Aden on Saturday for a surprise visit to the city, which is serving as Yemen's temporary capital.
A Yemeni official said Sunday that 12 civilians were killed when a coalition airstrike "mistakenly" hit two houses sheltering displaced families in al-Hodeida, leaving a Houthi position 300 metres away untouched.
In north-west Yemen, 40 soldiers and 22 Houthis have been killed since Friday in heavy clashes for control of a road linking the port city of Midi and Haradh.
Elsewhere, two women were killed in Houthi bombing of Taez, military officials said. Clashes raged on the outskirts of the city, killing four Houthis and three Yemeni soldiers late Saturday.
