Amid intense diplomatic efforts to reach a solution to the Yemeni crisis, the implementation of the prisoner exchange deal that took place in Berne, Switzerland, between the legitimate Yemeni government and the Houthis, began today (Friday). Informed sources revealed the arrival of the first plane to Aden Airport, carrying the former Minister of Defense, Major General Mahmoud Al-Subaihi, and the brother of the former President, Major General Nasser Mansour Hadi.
The media advisor to the International Committee of the Red Cross, Jessica Mosan, announced that the first plane took off from Sana'a carrying prisoners of the Yemeni government forces towards Aden (south), the seat of power.
Today, there are four flights, two from Sanaa towards Aden, and two from Aden towards the capital, to transfer about 320 prisoners from both sides.
While the number of Houthi prisoners who will be transferred to Sana'a is 249, they will be divided into two flights, the first of which will transport 125, and the second of which will transfer 124.
As for the prisoners of the legitimate government, they number 70, and they will be transferred to Aden via two flights as well, the first carrying 35 and the second 35, including the former Minister of Defense, Major General Mahmoud Al-Subaihi, and the brother of the former President, Major General Nasser Mansour Hadi.
According to the sources, the first flight from Aden to Sana'a will take off at the same time as the other plane from Sana'a to Aden.
The spokesman for the government delegation in the prisoners’ negotiations, a member of the negotiating delegation, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Human Rights, Majed Fadhail, pointed out in a tweet on Twitter yesterday that the exchange process will start on Friday morning and will last for three days. He said that it will include flights of the Red Cross between Sana'a and Aden (south), Mocha (west) and Ma'rib (central north) in Yemen.
This step comes after the government and the Houthis reached last March, during negotiations held in Berne, an agreement to exchange more than 880 prisoners, in a new sign of hope with the acceleration of efforts to end the war.
Under the agreement, the Houthis will release 181 prisoners, in exchange for 706 detainees held by government forces.
It is noteworthy that in the last major exchange that took place in October 2020, more than 1,050 prisoners were released and returned to their regions or countries, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Okaz (Jeddah) @okaz_online
