On Wednesday, the Yemeni government confirmed it would release 50 Houthi rebels in exchange for a prominent political figure held by the group.
Government negotiator Majed Fadail announced, “We have reached an agreement with the Houthi group to release Mohammed Qahtan in exchange for 50 Houthis.”
Mohammed Qahtan is a prominent figure in Yemen’s largest Islamic party, the Islah Party, and is one of four individuals listed in UN Security Council Resolution 2216 of 2015, which calls for their release by the Houthi group.
“Detained by the Houthis on April 5, 2015, shortly after they placed him under house arrest, his family remains unaware of his whereabouts or condition,” stated Houthi leader Abdel-Qadir al-Mortada, confirming a deal with the government to exchange 50 Houthi rebels for Qahtan.
“The agreement includes handing over 50 bodies of the group’s fighters if Qahtan is dead,” he stated, providing no further details.
On Sunday, the Yemeni government and Houthis initiated a new round of UN-sponsored negotiations for a prisoner swap in Oman.
Since their meetings in Stockholm in 2018, the Yemeni government and the Houthis have submitted lists containing more than 15,000 prisoners and detainees, although the exact number remains uncertain.
During negotiations in Switzerland in April 2023, facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN, the two parties exchanged about 900 detainees.
Since April 2022, Yemen has experienced relative calm in a conflict that began nearly a decade ago between forces loyal to the legitimate government and the Houthi group. The Houthis have controlled various provinces and cities, including the capital Sanaa, since 2014.