By: Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer

Talks under UN auspices for prisoner exchange between the Sana’a-based legitimate government of Yemen and the breakaway southern part under domination of Saudi Arabia and the UAE have started amidst hope of freedom for many of the combatants held by the two sides.
The venue of the talks is Muscat, the capital of Oman, where the two sides are negotiating in the presence of Sarhad Fattah, deputy special envoy of the UN secretary-general to Yemen, along with representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as well as representatives of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. 
Abdul Qader Murtada, head of the Ansarullah negotiating team, expressed optimism, stating, “We hope it will be a successful round that a new exchange deal will be agreed upon, and the humanitarian file will be resolved.”
It is worth recalling that the previous round of such talks in Switzerland in March 2023 led to a successful exchange in April 2023, resulting in the release of over 800 prisoners and detainees from both warring Yemeni sides.
Analysts note that the growing power of the popular Ansarallah Movement and its heroic confrontation of the illegitimate Zionist entity, coupled with the iron-resolve to counter the unwarranted intrusion in the Red Sea of the US and British fleets.
The secessionists in southern Yemen have been alarmed at the growing power and prestige of the Sana’a-based legitimate government which has attracted a large number of people in Aden areas under control of a so-called leadership council that does not represent the Yemeni people.
The devastating effect of the missiles and drones fired by Ansarallah has unnerved the Americans and British, which despite their frequent terrorist attacks have failed to dent the determination of the defenders of Palestine.
The Saudis and the Emiratis, as well as the Americans, along with the highly unpopular southern Yemenis, fear that many of their own prisoners may join the northern Yemenis.
In view of these facts, they are indulging in intense propaganda to mislead public opinion but without any avail.
We hope the talks will be successful. We also hope the stranglehold of the US and other outsiders, including the Israelis who have infiltrated some Yemeni islands will end.
The government in Sana’a is, however, confident that peace will prevail in Yemen and the unity of the land once known as Arabia Felix will become a solid bloc for the campaign to liberated Palestine from 76 years of Zionist usurpation.