Major Yemen prisoner release has begun

Yemen’s warring factions began a long-awaited prisoner swap on Friday. The deal is a further sign of peace in the war-torn country, though a long-term agreement on ending the conflict remains elusive.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it began a “multi-day operation” to transfer nearly 900 detainees in Yemen. The detainees have undergone health assessments and will be flown in and out of several cities in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, the ICRC said in a series of tweets.

The SABA news agency, ran by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, reported on Friday that the exchange had begun and said the first batch of prisoners would arrive on Friday.

Background: The Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Iran-aligned Houthis agreed in late March to exchange more than 880 prisoners. The agreement was brokered by the United Nations and was due to take place in April. The two sides also agreed to reconvene in May for talks on further releases, according to Agence France-Presse.

Why it matters: The cease-fire between the government and the Houthi rebels ended this past October. Yemen has remained relatively calm in recent months, but fighting still occurs at times. In late March, clashes between government and Houthi forces in the central Marib province left more than 10 dead.

Peace talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis are continuing. The kingdom is seeking a negotiated exit after failing to defeat the Houthis militarily, Yemen scholar Ibrahim Jalal wrote for Al-Monitor on Wednesday.

The prisoner exchange was the biggest since the two sides freed more than 1,000 detainees in late 2020, according to The Associated Press.

Know more: The prisoner swap deal followed Saudi Arabia and Iran agreeing in mid-March to resume bilateral relations. Better relations between the two foes could further spur efforts to end the Yemen war.