UN sets Yemen peace talks date; Saudi coalition hits rebels

The UN set the date for peace talks on Yemen for next week in Geneva, while the Saudi-led coalition today bombed Shiite rebels in at least five of the country's northern provinces.

It was not immediately clear who might represent the warring factions at the talks.

The internationally recognised government of Yemeni President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi, now in exile in Saudi Arabia, has demanded that the rebels, known as Houthis, first pull out of towns and cities, including the capital, Sanaa, which they captured in a power grab that started last year.

In a statement, the UN said it would host the talks in Switzerland, starting on May 28.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged all parties to engage "without pre-conditions," stressing the only way to resolve Yemen's conflict is an "inclusive, negotiated political settlement."

A spokesman for Ban said he was expected to attend the start of the talks.

Speaking to reporters, Yemen's UN Ambassador Khaled Alyemany said both Hadi's side and the Houthis will attend the Geneva talks, adding that the government will be represented at a high level, perhaps by the vice president.

But a top Hadi aide, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said the government would not give up its condition for the talks.

The UN announcement came after the world body's new envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, held meetings with rival political players in Yemen earlier this month.

The Houthis at the time expressed readiness to resume peace talks, insisting they take place in a "neutral" country.

Alyemany said the Houthis appear to have reached the moment of "wanting to talk," though they showed no signs of wanting to "give up what they consider their expansions on the ground."

Western countries accuse Shiite power Iran of backing the Houthis, something the Islamic Republic and the rebels deny.

Both the Yemeni ambassador and the Saudi ambassador to the UN, Abdallah Al-Moualimi, ruled out Iran's participation in Geneva.

"There is no place for Iran in the consultations in Geneva," Al-Moualimi told reporters. "They have not been playing a constructive role, and as such cannot be rewarded by having a seat at the table."

Yemen's conflict has also stranded thousands of Yemenis abroad, after the Saudi-led coalition imposed an air and sea blockade.

Today, 352 Yemenis aboard two planes, from Egypt and India, landed in Sanaa, according to airport officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.