Intra-Yemeni talks slotted for the end of March will include new individuals and figures from all northern and southern governorates, including Sanaa, a Gulf official told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Last week, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) announced that it will host Gulf-sponsored Yemeni consultations at the headquarters of its General Secretariat in Riyadh. The talks will be held from March 29 to April 7.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, the Gulf official stressed that the GCC invitation will not exclude anyone, and it will include politicians, writers, and military leaders, as well as women, members of the civil society and youth.
“Consultations will be held with whomever attends, but they are for all Yemenis. The solution can only come from Yemenis themselves,” said the official.
So far, over 500 invitations have been sent.
“Efforts made by the GCC are a continuation of its previous efforts in support of a comprehensive solution in Yemen, and the efforts of the United Nations in this context,” explained the official.
“Consultations must target everyone. Everyone has the right to attend from the groups mentioned above, and we will see new faces in the consultations.”
“The invitation is comprehensive, and many will participate, even from Sanaa and the areas around it,” revealed the official.
As for the mechanism and method of holding the talks, the Gulf official stated that they will consist of “daily meetings that tackle all the issues the Yemenis want to discuss.”
They pointed out that the meetings will be “closed,” but this doesn’t prevent the establishment of working groups that decide on upcoming meetings.
Talks would focus on six points, starting with military and security, which includes the general principles for a ceasefire and the fight against terrorism.
The consultations will also tackle the political process and the creation of an adequate environment to achieve a comprehensive, just, and sustainable political solution.
Other issues will focus on strengthening state institutions, launching administrative reforms, and combating corruption, opening humanitarian channels, adopting urgent measures to stop the collapse of the Yemeni currency and achieve stability and recovery of basic services and direct support from donors, and finally, social recovery, which includes procedures and steps to restore social cohesion.
