ADEN, Yemen, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Representatives of Yemen's warring factions continued on Tuesday their discussions on implementing a new peace initiative proposed by Saudi Arabia, a government official told Xinhua.
The local government official, who asked to remain anonymous, said that "there are extensive regional and international mediation efforts aimed at convincing the Houthi rebel group and Yemen's government to begin with the implementation of the Saudi peace initiative declared last week."
He said that "the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, and the U.S. special envoy for Yemen, Timothy Lenderking, are still holding private talks with the Houthi representatives in Oman following similar discussions with the government representatives based in Saudi Arabia."
Last week, Saudi Arabia declared a new peace initiative that included a nationwide cease-fire, opening Sanaa airport, allowing fuel and other commodities into Yemen through the country's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, and resuming the stalled political negotiations to end the conflict.
The Yemeni official explained that "the ongoing discussions are still facing difficulties regarding the details of implementing the Saudi peace initiative as both sides are placing pre-conditions."
Meanwhile, there are other preparations taking place internally which are aimed at including all the Yemeni powerful political factions in the upcoming peace negotiations to end the country's years-long crisis.
Another senior diplomatic Yemeni official confirmed to Xinhua that "there are ongoing talks with representatives of Brigadier General Tariq Saleh, who is the nephew of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, to ensure their political participation in the upcoming peace talks."
The official explained anonymously that "Tariq Saleh's emergent political wing is considered as one of the most influential factions in Yemen as it is composed of former politicians representing the country's northern regions."
Elite military units of Tariq's forces, known as the Guardians of the Republic, are currently controlling key strategic areas on the western coast of Yemen and sporadically engage in fighting with the Houthi rebels there.
A close source to Tariq said that their political wing is fully ready to positively engage in the upcoming negotiations aimed at ending the years-long military conflict and achieving permanent peace in the war-ravaged Arab country.
Saudi Arabia's peace initiative received regional and international welcome. The Yemeni government welcomed the Saudi initiative.
However, the Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam announced his group's rejection of the Saudi initiative as "there is nothing new in the Saudi initiative to end the war in Yemen."
"Saudi Arabia is part of the war in Yemen and must end the blockade on Yemen immediately," Abdulsalam explained in a statement aired by the group's al-Masirah TV.
The Houthis recently stepped up cross-border attacks against Saudi cities and oil facilities, but most of the attacks were foiled by the Saudi-led coalition forces.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthis seized control of several northern Yemeni provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.
The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in 2015 to support Hadi's government. Enditem
