UN: 72-Hour Truce to Begin in Yemen Wednesday

The United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen announced a 72-hour cease-fire to begin Wednesday night, after he received commitments from all of the country’s warring factions.


Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the cessation of hostilities will begin at 8:59 p.m. UTC Wednesday and could be renewed after the initial three-day period.

Earlier Monday, Yemen’s Foreign Minister Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi said, “The president agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire to be extended if the other party adheres to it, activates the DCC (De-escalation and Coordination Committee) and lifts the siege of Taiz.”

The DCC is the United Nations-backed military commission responsible for overseeing cease-fires in Yemen.

The announcement came a day after the United States, Britain and the United Nations peace envoy to Yemen urged the warring parties in the country’s two-year civil war to declare a cease-fire they said could start within days.
 [voanews.com]
17/10/16