UAE ‘fully supports’ new Yemen peace talks

The United Arab Emirates, whose troops are fighting Yemeni rebels alongside government forces, said on Wednesday that it would fully support new peace talks. UN-brokered negotiations broke down earlier this month. UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said he had held “very productive discussions” with UN Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, AFP reports. “Reaffirmed strong support for UN-led political process after Geneva setback,” Gargash tweeted. “Will fully support UN proposals for new talks soon.” The UN envoy has been shuttling between all sides in the civil war that has killed nearly 10,000 people in Yemen since March 2015 in a bid to get peace talks back on track. Planned negotiations in Geneva broke down on September 8 after rebel delegates refused to show up until they received guarantees that they would be able to fly home afterwards.