The Houthis release a Yemeni Army general after eight years in captivity

30 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The United Nations has confirmed this Sunday that the Huthi insurgency in Yemen has unilaterally released Yemeni Army General Faisal Rayab, captured by the rebels in 2015, shortly after the start of the civil war in the country, which is getting closer to the end of the day. end thanks to the rapprochement of recent weeks between both sides.

The UN envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has applauded the release of the general, which has been a “unilateral” decision by the Huthi insurgency after the great exchange of prisoners at the beginning of the month agreed between both sides and under the auspices of United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

“I want to urge all parties to continue to build on this progress and intensify their efforts to release all detainees based on the ‘All for all’ principle stipulated in the Stockholm exchange agreement,” he added in a message published on your Twitter account.

The departure of Rayab – captured during a Huthi attack in Lajh province just after the start of the conflict – came two weeks after other prominent members of the Yemeni government and army, such as former Defense Minister Mahmud al Subaihi, and Major General Naser Mansur Hadi, brother of former Yemeni President Abdo Rabbu Mansur Hadi.

The first announcement of his release was made by the Huthi news agency, Saba, which this weekend published images of the conversation between the general and the insurgent “prime minister”, Abdulaziz Salé bin Habtu, who handed over to the military his sidearm seized after his capture and another pistol, this time a gift from the leader of the Huthi movement, Abdulmalik al-Huthi.

The general then went to the disposal of the chiefs of tribes of the Abyan provinces — the general’s birthplace and where he will go after his release from prison –, as well as Shabwa and Al Bayda, mediators in his release.