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A rare chance for peace in Yemen

The war has devastated Yemen's infrastructure and Balkanised the country on ethnic and sectarian lines.

A détente is in the making in Yemen. The good point is that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition and the Houthi rebels are in talks. They have reportedly swapped prisoners ahead of their scheduled formal talks next month. More than 7,000 people have died in the year-long conflict, which has rendered more than a million people homeless. The war has devastated Yemen's infrastructure and Balkanised the country on ethnic and sectarian lines. The United Nations-sponsored ceasefire is supposed to come into effect from April 10, formally kick-starting a dialogue process, which is likely to be participated by all the stakeholders in the strife-torn country.
This is a promising development, and warring parties must give peace a chance. The most important aspect is that extra-territorial forces should take a back seat, and let the people of Yemen overcome the crisis in a responsible manner by exhibiting nationalistic tendencies. Yemen for long has been a battleground for non-state actors, especially Al Qaeda and now Daesh is also in it. The talks should primarily focus on converting the ceasefire into permanent peace, and rebuilding the country.