ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's internationally recognized government and the Houthi group on Wednesday traded accusations over delays in implementing a prisoner exchange agreement reached during talks facilitated by the United Nations (UN) in Oman last month.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Abdul-Malik Mikhlafi, an adviser to Yemen's presidency, accused the Houthis of obstructing the deal and reneging on commitments made under UN-brokered agreements.
"The Houthi militia does not view agreements as a moral or humanitarian obligation, but as a means of political blackmail," Mikhlafi said in the statement, citing what he described as repeated violations and disregard for prisoners and their families.
He said the failure to implement the Muscat agreement reflected a lack of seriousness and "contempt for international law and humanitarian considerations," without providing further details.
The Houthis denied responsibility for the delay. Abdul Qader al-Murtada, head of the Houthis' prisoner affairs committee, said the group had submitted its prisoner lists ahead of the last round of Muscat talks.
"The delay in exchanging the lists is not on our side," al-Murtada said earlier this week, adding that the other side failed to submit its lists within the timeframe stipulated by the Muscat agreement.
On Dec. 23, 2025, Yemen's internationally recognized government and the Houthi group agreed to a new prisoner exchange involving nearly 3,000 detainees, including seven Saudis and 23 Sudanese nationals.
Under the deal, 1,700 Houthi detainees are to be released in exchange for 1,200 detainees affiliated with the government, as well as Saudi and Sudanese nationals held by the Houthis.
Yemen has been gripped by conflict since late 2014 when Houthi militants seized control of the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year in support of the internationally recognized government.
A UN-mediated truce between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group, brokered in April 2022, lasted six months before expiring. However, both sides have largely maintained a "de facto ceasefire" since then.
The last major UN-mediated detainees swap between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group took place in 2023, with around 900 detainees released. ■
