A few days before the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meet in Riyadh for a summit, expected to focus on the Yemen crisis, US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters in Sri Lanka on Saturday that Washington was working “very hard with the UN [and] our friends in the region “ to find a solution to the conflict. He was referring to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. “We are working hard to secure a negotiated process through the UN which will bring the parties together, [Yemenis] to negotiate the future of Yemen,” he explained.

That is good news. All parties in the region are hoping to end the conflict, which is threatening to fragment the Arab state and escalate social tensions, sparked last year when the Al Houthi group overran the capital Sana’a and placed the elected president, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and his prime minister, Khaled Bahah, under house arrest.

The Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, said the air campaign was one of the most painful decisions taken by the Gulf leaders but it was necessary to protect Yemen’s sovereignty and bring back its security and stability through the establishment of a political process.

Therefore, for Kerry to succeed in his “very hard” task, the Al Houthi militia and its allies must meet conditions of peace — evacuate the occupied cities, allow the legitimate government to resume its duties and hand over stolen weapons to the government. We all hope the militias heed the voice of reason.