CEASEFIRE BEGINS TONIGHT IN YEMEN

SANA'A, Feb. 11 (Saba) - President Ali Abdullah Saleh chaired on Thursday the meeting of the Parliament-Shura committee in charge of overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire conditions that the Houthi rebels accepted on Monday.

The committee was briefed on Saleh's decision on halting the military operations in the northwest region read: based on the decision of the Supreme Defense Council issued on Monday that came after the letter of the rebel leader Abdul Malik Al-Houthi in which he announced their acceptance to the conditions and the mechanism to implement them, we decided to stop the military operations in the region as of 12:00 am, tonight.

The ceasefire comes to prevent bloodshed and bring peace into the region and it is conditional upon the commitment of the insurgents to implementing the conditions on the ground, the decision said.

The ceasefire conditions are:
- Houthi commitment to ceasefire, eliminating landmines and leaving positions and hideouts.
- Rebel withdrawal from all districts in Saada and stopping interference in the local government's duties.
- Returning looted Yemeni and Saudi military and public equipment and properties.
- releasing Yemeni and Saudi captives.
- Obeying the law and constitution.
- Pledging not to attack Saudi lands.

Al-Houthi also agreed on the mechanism to implement the conditions.

The meeting also dealt with the responsibilities of the committee and other committees that would be responsible for brining peace into the region and dealing with the post-war consequences and reporting on the ravaged areas to rebuild them.

President Saleh stressed the importance of the role of the committee, urging it should bear sense of responsibility.

Early today, officials said that post-war committees were taking shape amid expectations an end to the conflict in the north comes at any moment after the Houthi accepted the truce conditions and the government accepted that the Houthi be part of committees to implement them.

The officials said that the committees included a committee from Parliament and Shura Council to oversee implementing the conditions in the reality and a committee to tackle the impacts of the war in Saada and a third committee to contribute to arrangements for bringing peace into the region.

The second committee will focus on establishing general reconciliation to prevent revenge or attacks and assessing material losses and counting them in various areas with the aim to help how to rebuild the ravaged areas.

FR