The Yemeni government announced on Saturday that it has accepted the initiative proposed by UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths for a ceasefire and resumption of the peace process, and called on him to reveal the party obstructing the peace process. 

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government approved the envoy's initiative for a nationwide ceasefire, the formation of a joint taskforce to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, the resumption of peace consultations, and a number of confidence building measures. 

These confidence building measures include the opening of all roads, with the government highlighting in particular its support for opening routes in Taiz governorate, as well as the opening of Sana'a airport for international flights, the payment of salaries to all public sector employees, and the release of all prisoners and detainees.

The government blamed the Houthis for “rejecting” the initiative, saying that the Houthis' continued rejection of the envoy's initiative “despite our approval since the beginning of May is proof that they do not want peace and do not care about the suffering of Yemenis.”

The government called on the envoy, the UN Security Council and the international community more broadly to “expose the real obstacle to peace and hold the Houthis fully accountable.”

Meanwhile, Houthi spokesperson Mohammad Abdusalam also held talks on Friday with Griffiths to discuss “humanitarian conditions, the political situation, exchange of prisoners, reopening sea and airports, salaries, and a comprehensive political solution,” according to Abdulmalek Al-Egri, a Houthi member of the Sana’a delegation to the last round of UN-led consultations, held in Sweden in December 2018.