SANAA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A delegation from Oman arrived in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Friday to convince the Houthi group to engage in a peace process with the Yemeni government.
"The Omani delegation would meet with the top leaders of the (Houthi) group amid efforts to lift the blockade and end the war," the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported without providing further details.
Yemen's warring sides agreed to implement from April 2 a UN-brokered cease-fire that was meant to last two months.
The truce includes the halt of all ground, aerial and naval military offensive operations across Yemen and its borders.
Oman, which borders both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, has been actively engaged in brokering the cease-fire. The UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg also hailed Oman's "crucial role in supporting the negotiations."
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of Sanaa.
The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation, according to the UN. ■
