Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid Bin Daghr at the President’s residence in Cairo, during which the Egyptian head of state stressed the importance of avoiding a long-term armed conflict in Yemen. A statement from Sisi’s office read that Egypt was keen on providing the needed support for Yemen to end the conflict and focus on development and restoration in the country for peace and stability, while emphasizing the importance of the ongoing negotiations with the rebel militias, under the auspices of the United Nations, to reach a political solution to the Yemeni crisis.
Egypt has been participating with its naval and air force in a Saudi-led Arab coalition against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen since the campaign was launched in March 2015. United Nations-led negotiations, which sought to bring an end to the fighting and brought about a cessation of hostilities ended without an agreement early this morning, causing the Saudi-led coalition to resume its operation against the Iranian-back Houthis, whom are loyal to deposed Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the operation was also renewed after the Houthi militias started launching attacks on the Saudi borders, which Riyadh dubbed as a “red line.” The Houthi militias and Saleh’s General People’s Congress hold most of Yemen’s northern half, while forces loyal to Western-backed President Abd Rabbuh Masur Hadi share control of the rest of the country with local tribes.