Yemeni rebels back out of peace talks at last moment

SANAA, Yemen (AP) - Yemen's Shiite rebels backed out of U.N.-brokered peace talks just hours before the negotiations were to start Monday in Kuwait, demanding the Saudi-led coalition abide by the weeklong cease-fire and halt airstrikes against them.

Officials from the internationally-recognized government hit back and accused rebels of violating the cease-fire deal by shelling the war-torn city of Taiz. It was not immediately clear if the negotiations were completely scuttled.

A statement issued on behalf of the U.N. envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, described the Kuwait talks as "delayed" and gave no details on when they might resume. "We are working to overcome the latest challenges and ask the delegations to show good faith, participate in the talks in order to reach a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Yemen," the envoy said. "The next few hours are crucial. We call on the parties to take their responsibilities seriously and agree on comprehensive solutions."

"Our demand from day one was for the talks to be held in a calm, peaceful, and stable environment," Mohammed Abdel-Salam, spokesman for the Shiite rebels known as Houthis and the head of their U.N. delegation, said in a statement late Monday. Abdel-Salam said airstrikes and hostilities by the Saudi-led coalition have not stopped.

Abdel-Karim Shayban, an official with the internationally recognized government who was appointed to monitor the cease-fire in the western city of Taiz, accused Houthis of not abiding by the truce deal.

The delegation representing the Yemeni government in Kuwait said in a statement late Monday that the delegation had respected its obligations and went to Kuwait for the talks in spite of what they described as cease-fire violations violations by the Houthis.

Officials from the Saudi-led coalition could not be immediately reached for comment.

The Kuwait talks are aimed at finding ways to resolve the year-long conflict between Yemen's internationally recognized government, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, and the Houthis and their allies.

Abdel-Rahman al-Ahnoumi, a Houthi media official, accused the U.N. envoy of trying to "jump over our" the rebels' demands and head directly to the talks.

"This just reflects that they are not serious about the whole deal," the media official said. "Talks amid the continued airstrikes will be useless."

Shayban, the official in Taiz - where Houthis have imposed a yearlong siege- told reporters that Houthis have showed "no seriousness."

The U.N. envoy said during peace talks he would encourage both sides to negotiate a way forward on issues such as creating interim security arrangements, withdrawing militias and armed groups, handing over heavy weapons to the government, resuming an inclusive political dialogue and releasing of political prisoners and detainees.

The Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014 and expelled the government led by President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who flew to Saudi Arabia. The Yemeni government had since enlisted the help of the Western-backed coalition and retaken most of the southern region.

A U.N.-brokered cease-fire announced earlier this month has sought to facilitate the negotiations in Kuwait, though it has repeatedly been breached by both sides. Along with Sanaa, cities of Taiz, Marib and Jouf have seen most of the cease-fire violations.

Yemen's war has killed thousands and displaced 2.4 million people while Houthis still retain control in much of the country's northern regions. The conflict has also fueled secessionist aspirations among the Southerners' for independence, which they had before Yemen was unified in 1990.

Also Monday, tens of thousands of Yemenis rallied in the port city of Aden, demanding the secession of the south from the rest of the country and the return of the one-time independent state of South Yemen.

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Associated Press writer Maggie Michael in Cairo and Adam Schreck in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.