Truce, National Unity Gov't Necessary to Settle Yemeni Conflict - Ex-President

The ceasefire regime in Yemen as well as the establishment of a special body with representation of the main warring parties are on the list of conditions needed to settle of the ongoing conflict in the country, former President of South Yemen Ali Nasir Muhammad said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — He added that all the armed groups in Yemen should lay down their arms, while a presidential council with representation of both southern and northern parts of the country should be established.

"First of all, it is necessary to reach a ceasefire, secondly it is necessary to form political and military commissions to monitor the ceasefire. It is necessary to create a government of national unity, which would express interests of all sides and would get approval from regional and international forces," Muhammad said a conference on Middle East organized by the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow.

According to the former president, the government should include "representatives of all political forces, including the Houthi rebels."

Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government and the Houthis, fighting along with the troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, since 2014. In March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition launched a series of airstrikes against the rebels at request of the government.