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The sum of many mediators in Yemen's war

A flurry of diplomacy to end one of the Middle East’s worst conflicts suggests all sides might see a shared interest in peace.

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Yemeni prisoners chant slogans after being released in October by the Saudi-led coalition in Sanaa, Yemen.
  • By the Monitor's Editorial Board

In recent days, one of the world’s worst conflicts – the six-year war in Yemen – has taken a turn for the better with a flurry of diplomacy. President Joe Biden appointed the first special U.S. envoy for Yemen, saying the conflict has created a humanitarian “catastrophe.” A high-level delegation from the European Union arrived in the country Saturday. And the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, is on his first visit to Iran for talks about its role in the war.

With such high-powered mediators at work, can peace finally come to this corner of the Arabian Peninsula and end near-famine conditions for many in Yemen?

One reason for optimism is that the military side of the war is at a stalemate. The United States has cut off military support for the Saudi forces involved in the conflict. And Iran, which could be seeking better ties with the U.S., may be willing to end its support of the Houthi rebels who control most of the country. The tools of mediation are the only way to end this war.

The two main factions inside Yemen “need nudging,” said Mr. Griffiths in a recent speech. “They need to be supported. They need to be advised, let us be honest.”

He was able to get both sides to meet last year and agree to an exchange of prisoners, a huge step toward trust-building. More than a thousand prisoners are now back with their loved ones. The sense of each life being important was clearly demonstrated in the agreement, Mr. Griffiths said, giving some hope for further agreements.

Globe-trotting interlocutors like him have a knack for getting both sides to develop an appreciation for the needs and fears of each other. They bring humble listening for shared concerns and then use moral persuasion to convince each side to examine its own actions and attitudes.

The immediate needs are for a nationwide cease-fire and access for urgent humanitarian measures. A next step is for the Houthi movement to be turned into a political party that seeks its interests through peaceful means. Saudi Arabia and Iran also need to cease using Yemen as a proxy battleground for their competing visions for the Middle East.

Both of those countries are facing the same trends among their young people. “For too long, the image of the Middle East has been a negative one of violence, radicalism, fanaticism, and wars combined with the extremes of excessive wealth and abject poverty, corruption and dictatorships. This has been changing in the last decade with the rise of a globalized new generation that is protesting against that reality and the influence of Iranian-sponsored militias,” writes Nadim Shehadi of Lebanese American University in Eurasia Review.

One role for mediators in Yemen is to persuade each side that peace talks need not be a zero-sum game. If the level of diplomacy is any sign, that point is starting to add up.

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