Houthi Saleh factions differ over Geneva talks agenda

(MENAFN- Arab News) JEDDAH: A UN plane left Yemen's capital city of Sanaa on Saturday without delegates who would have represented the Houthis or deposed leader Ali Abdullah Saleh at the upcoming talks in Geneva sources told Al Arabiya News Channel
Despite Oman pressing members of the Iran-backed militia to attend the UN-sponsored peace talks the Houthi delegations failed to board the plane.
The agenda for the peace talks created a rift between Houthis and Saleh sources told Al Arabiya.
The delegations insisted that the rebels' position on participating in the talks had not changed.
Al Arabiya said representatives from Yemeni authorities and political factions arrived in Geneva ahead of the talks scheduled for Monday.

CONSULTATIONS

UN special envoy to Yemen will hold separate 'proximity' peace talks with both sides in Geneva on Sunday with the hope of bringing the warring parties to the same table eventually Reuters news agency reported earlier.
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed has convened the talks expected to last three days to try to end more than two months of war between Houthi militias and armed groups loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
'The talks will start as proximity talks which means the envoy will be shuttling between the two groups in the hope that he can bring them together during these consultations' UN spokesman Ahmad Fawzi told a news briefing in Geneva.
The talks had been scheduled to start Sunday but the UN said they would be delayed by a day due to 'unforeseen circumstances.'
UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the talks were aimed at securing a cease-fire agreeing on a withdrawal plan for the Houthis and stepping up humanitarian aid deliveries.