Local Editor
Peace talks between Yemen’s warring factions set to kick off next week will be held in a secret location, with no media access, the United Nations said Tuesday.
United Nations envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed "has decided that the venue of the meeting will not be made public, in order to give the talks every chance of success," the UN said in a statement.
Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced the new round of talks on Monday, stressing a swift halt to the fighting was imperative for those caught up in what has increasingly become a regional conflict.
Talks to ease the violence in Yemen have been stalled for months, with the conflict escalating since March when a pro-Hadi coalition led by Saudi Arabia began bombarding the impoverished country.
The United Nations says more than 5,700 people have been killed in Yemen, almost half of them civilians, since the Saudi-led air campaign began.
Ould Cheikh Ahmed told reporters in Geneva that three delegation would take part in talks likely to be held outside Geneva starting on Dec15, with no set timeline.
The delegations include representatives of fugitive former President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s government, the Ansarullah movement, and officials from the General People’s Congress [GPC], who are loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The UN envoy said Riyadh has promised to observe the ceasefire andpause its aerial assault on Ansarullah positions during talks.
Given the delicate situation, the UN said Ould Cheikh Ahmed wanted to avoid on-site media coverage of the talks.
"It might be possible to hold a photo opportunity at the Palais des Nations [the UN’s European headquarters in Geneva] before the start of the talks," the statement said.
"However, once the talks commence at the non-disclosed location, a press blackout will take effect," it stressed.
Reporters would not be left completely in the dark, however.
"The Special Envoy wishes to maintain a flow of information to the media. Therefore, periodic updates may be provided," the UN statement said.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
