UN Envoy: Yemeni parties agree on largest prisoner exchange deal

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths on Sunday announced that the parties to the conflict in Yemen have agreed on a detailed plan to accomplish the first official wide prisoner exchange.

“At the conclusion of a seven-day meeting in the Jordanian capital, Amman, the two parties agreed on a detailed plan to implement the first exchange of prisoners and detainees,” the UN envoy’s office said in a joint statement with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The statement added, “It is a step towards fulfilling their commitment to the release of all detainees in connection with the conflict in Yemen in accordance with the Stockholm Agreement.”

The statement called on the Yemeni parties to “accelerate the implementation of the exchange process that they agreed upon today.”

Griffiths noted that the parties, despite the growing challenges on the ground, “have shown that confidence they have built up so far is still capable of achieving positive results.”