Yemen's government began a new round of UN-brokered talks with the Iran-backed Houthis (Ansarallah) in Jordan on Tuesday (February 5th) on a troubled prisoner swap deal that mediators say hangs in the balance, AFP reported.
The huge prisoner exchange agreed in Stockholm in December is seen as a crucial confidence-building measure in the UN-led push to bring the warring sides to negotiations on ending four years of devastating conflict.
Both sides have said repeatedly they remain committed to the agreement that could see thousands of prisoners released by each side.
During two days of talks in the Jordanian capital last month, they submitted lists of the detainees they each want to see freed, but deep distrust prevented them from coming up with a final list of names for the exchange.
At the end of January, the Houthis released a captured Saudi soldier while Riyadh set free seven Houthi prisoners but they are the only detainees exchanged under the deal so far.
UN envoy Martin Griffiths said he hoped the two sides would be more successful this time as he opened three days of talks in Amman.
Meanwhile, retired Danish general Michael Lollesgaard arrived Tuesday in Sanaa to head the UN observer mission in Yemen and replace his predecessor whose ties with the Houthis were reportedly strained.
Lollesgaard replaces Patrick Cammaert, the Dutch general who had been tapped a little over a month ago to lead the mission deployed in the Red Sea port city of al-Hodeidah.
He will oversee a team of 75 unarmed observers to monitor the ceasefire deal for al-Hodeidah.
