The Saudi-based Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday invited warring sides in Yemen for talks aimed at ending the civil war in the Arab world’s most impoverished country, a conflict now in its eight year.
However, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have already rejected Riyadh — the Saudi capital were the GCC is headquartered — as venue for talks. A Saudi-led coalition has been at war in Yemen since 2015, seeking to restore the internationally recognized government to power. The Saudis have been trying to oust the Houthis from key territories, such as the capital of Sanaa, which the rebels control.
The Houthis said they would not attend talks in Riyadh, saying Saudi Arabia cannot be a mediator or host since it’s a party in the war. The Houthis say they would instead be open to talks in a “neutral country.” GCC member states Kuwait and Oman have attempted to mediate in the past.