UN invites Yemen government and rebels to talks on Sept. 6

CAMEROON, Cameroon – The U.N. envoy for Yemen has invited the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels to talks aimed at ending a three-year conflict that has killed over 10,000 people.

The office of U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths said Friday that formal invitations were sent to both parties for talks on Sept. 6 in Geneva.

Griffiths told the Security Council earlier this month that the pace of fighting in Yemen has increased and “the Red Sea is now a theatre of war.”

He said the time is past to resume the political process and he hopes to discuss a framework for peace negotiations with the internationally recognized government and Houthi rebels.

Yemen has been embroiled in a war since 2015 that has pitted a Saudi-led coalition which backs the government against the Iran-aligned Houthis.