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Yemen rebels ready to talk with govt if war ends
[Al Arabiya Latest] The Houthi rebels battling government forces in north Yemen said they are ready for talks with Sanaa once the government declares an end to hostilities, a rebel spokesman announced on Saturday."When the war stops we will be ready for dialogue," Mohammed Abelsalam told AFP in Dubai by telephone, adding that he was reacting to an appeal from President Ali Abdullah Saleh. In an article published on Friday to mark the new year, Saleh appealed for reason from the insurgents. He urged the Houthis, also known as Zaidi rebels, to agree to the conditions laid down by the government for a return to peace, saying they should cease hostilities, withdraw from official buildings and respect the law. "If these elements accept this plea for peace, the state will offer the hand of peace," he wrote in the government daily Al-Thawra. Abdelsalam said on Saturday the rebels would announce their acceptance of the government's terms once it "brings a definitive end" to military operations against them in the north. Sanaa has been engaged in sporadic fighting with the rebels since 2004. Posted by: Fred 2010-01-03 |
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