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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 3 august 2022
U.N. says Yemen’s warring sides agree to renew existing truce

By SAMY MAGDY The truce has also called for
Associated Press opening the roads around
CAIRO (AP) — The United Taiz, Yemen’s third larg-
Nations said Yemen’s war- est city, which the Houthis
ring parties agreed Tuesday have besieged for years.
to renew an existing truce But the rebels rejected two
for another two months af- U.N. proposals to lift the
ter concerted international blockade, according to
efforts. the envoy office. Another
The already 4-month-old item on the agenda is find-
cease-fire has been the ing a way to pay the coun-
longest nationwide ease in try’s public servants, many
fighting since the country’s of whom have gone with
war began six years ago. little or no salaries for years
The U.N. envoy to Yemen due to the civil strife.
Hans Grundberg said in a Tuesday’s extension fell
statement that the coun- short of a proposed six-
try’s internationally rec- month renewal of the
ognized government and Houthi supporters attend a rally marking the seventh anniversary of the Saudi-led coalition’s cease-fire, according to a
the Houthi rebels had also intervention in Yemen’s war, in Sanaa, Yemen, March 26, 2022. government official.
agreed to try to arrive Associated Press The Houthis had wanted
at “an expanded truce more flights from Sanaa
agreement as soon as pos- nouncement came hours months. and conflict. Around a third airport and more fuel ves-
sible.” after an Omani delegation Both sides have publicly of Yemen’s 30 million popu- sels allowed to arrive in
Yemen’s civil war erupted concluded three days of announced that they’ve lation has been facing star- Hodeida to agree on that
in 2014, when the Houthis talks with the Houthi lead- bolstered their front-line po- vation due to the war and longer period. The interna-
descended from their ership, including with the sitions, particularly around a lack of funding for hu- tionally recognized govern-
northern enclave and took rebels’ chief Abdel-Malek the oil-rich city of Marib, manitarian aid, according ment would not discuss the
over the capital, forcing al-Houthi in the capital of which the Houthis have to the U.N. food agency. Houthi demands before
the government to flee to Sanaa. Mohammed Abdel- been trying to seize for over Aside from the lull in vio- the opening of Taiz roads,
the south before its exile in Salam, the Houthi chief ne- a year. There were also lence, the truce estab- the official said. He spoke
Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led gotiator and spokesman, shows of power through lished two commercial on condition anonym-
coalition then backed by said on Twitter the talks fo- through military parades flights per week from Sanaa ity to discuss internal delib-
the United Sates entered cused on “consolidating featuring thousands of sol- to Jordan and Egypt, after erations. On Sunday, U.S.
the war in early 2015 to try chances of halting the war diers. The government and the country’s airport was Secretary of State Antony
to restore the government and lifting the blockade” the Houthis both claimed closed to passenger flights Blinken spoke with Rashad
to power. Since then, the imposed by the Saudi Ara- to have documented doz- for years. It also allowed 36 al-Alimi, head of the presi-
conflict has turned into bia-led coalition. ens of truce violations on a vessels carrying fuel into the dential government, to
a proxy war between re- The cease-fire initially took weekly basis. port of Hodeida over the press for the truce renewal.
gional foes Saudi Arabia effect on April 2 and was But the cease-fire has course of four months. Both He said the cease-fire “pro-
and Iran, which backs the extended June 2. Howev- brought relief for Yemenis Sanaa and Hodeida are vides the best opportunity
Houthis. er, there have been offen- who have suffered from a controlled by the Houthi for peace in years — we
The truce renewal an- sive actions during recent decade of political turmoil rebels. must not let it slip away.”q

Guatemala arrests migrant smugglers wanted by the U.S.

erished neighbors, inside nabbed 19 alleged mem- are almost never willing to
authorities found horse sta- bers of the smuggling ring. identify or testify against
bles, a swimming pool, late The arrests came a month their smugglers. In some
model vehicles, guns and after 53 migrants, includ- cases they hope for an-
a still drunk Felipe Diego ing 21 Guatemalans, died other chance to migrate
Alonso, the alleged leader in a failed smuggling at- to the United States with
of a smuggling ring that tempt when they were the smuggler’s help and
moved migrants from Gua- abandoned inside a swel- in others they are afraid of
temala north to the United tering trailer in San Antonio, the smugglers or their orga-
States. Texas. There was no indica- nized crime connections.
The raid was part of several tion those arrested Tuesday Alonzo, appearing groggy
carried out Tuesday in four were involved in the San in blue jeans and a white
Guatemalan provinces Antonio tragedy. golf shirt, said he was an
against a migrant smug- The extradition of alleged onion grower who also
A Guatemalan police officer walks near alleged human gling ring, for which authori- migrant smugglers known sometimes sold land and
traffickers, far right, who covered their faces, during a police
raid against migrant smugglers near the Mexican border in ties say they’ve document- as “coyotes” has been rare automobiles.
Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. ed $2 million in revenue and these would be the first Some of the detainees
Associated Press since 2019. known cases in Guatemala were flown to Guatemala
Alonzo and three others of smugglers allegedly pur- City for their initial court
By SONIA PÉREZ D. flying overhead raided a arrested Tuesday were tar- sued for the death of a mi- appearances. The arrests
Associated Press large ranch nestled among gets of U.S. prosecutors, grant in the United States. come at a time of height-
HUEHUETENANGO, Gua- the mountains of northern wanted in connection with Prosecutions of migrant ened tensions between
temala (AP) — At dawn, Guatemala, not far from the death of a Guatema- smugglers in Guatemala Guatemala’s President
police and federal agents the border with Mexico. lan migrant in Texas last have proven exceedingly Alejandro Giammattei and
with cover from helicopters Unlike the ranch’s impov- year. In total, authorities difficult because migrants Washington.q