Yemen ceasefire deal comes into effect ahead of round of talks in Kuwait

 A ceasefire deal between the Yemeni government troops and Houthi militias has come into effect ahead of a third round of consultations that will be held in Kuwait following UN Security Resolution 2216 to achieve peace in Yemen.

There are expectations that the truce will not last for a long time as pockets of fighting were reported hours before the truce begins.

Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Abdel Malek al Mekhlafi, head of the Yemeni delegation to the talks, sent a message to UN peace envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Sheikh Ahmed to assert Yemen's commitment to the conditions and items included in the truce deal.

In his message, Mekhlafi said Yemeni President Mansour Hadi has ordered all military commands to abide by the ceasefire.

The conflict between the Yemeni army and the rival Houthi rebels has killed more than 6,200 people and triggered a humanitarian crisis in one of the Arab world's poorest countries.

The truce from Sunday midnight (2100 GMT) precedes peace talks on April 18 in Kuwait. Arab coalition troops command has issued a statement to assert its commitment to the ceasefire upon a message sent by the Yemeni president to the coalition.

Yemeni military officials and some militia representatives had met over the past two days in southern Saudi Arabia to prepare for the ceasefire and had signed agreements on how it would be implemented and monitored.

Source: MENA