Yemen rebels, Saudis in back-channel talks to maintain truce

By SAMY MAGDY
Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — Yemen is seeing its longest-ever pause in fighting, more than nine months. Yemeni, Saudi and U.N. officials say Saudi Arabia and its rival, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, have revived back-channel talks, hoping to strengthen the informal cease-fire and lay out a path for a negotiated end to the long civil war. So far, the talks have prevented a resumption of fighting. But the two sides remain far apart on key issues. The Houthis demand and end to air and maritime blockades on them and the paying of salaries of civil servants and the military from oil resources under their opponents’ control. Saudi Arabia demands security guarantees and that Houthis join talks with other Yemeni actors to end the conflict.