Tua’yman to Al Mayadeen: The ceasefire initiative came from a position of strength

The governor of the Yemeni Marib Governorate in the Sana'a government, Major General Ali Tua’yman, stated that "the armed forces control 85% of the Marib governorate, and we are about 6-7 kilometers away from the city."

In an interview for Al Mayadeen, Tua’yman confirmed that "the armed forces are currently positioned on the outskirts of Marib," stressing that "we accepted the initiative of Abdul-Malik al-Houthi for a peaceful ceasefire, despite the bombing of women and children by mercenaries.”

He added: "The initiative of Abdul-Malik al-Houthi is fair because it shares Ma'rib’s power and wealth with its people, a right which the people of Marib did not obtain for 40 years in prior," stressing that "the ceasefire initiative came from a position of strength which aimed at preventing further bloodshed."

Tua’yman expressed his willingness to meet with the governor of Hadi’s government as well as mercenaries if it means the cessation of war in Marib.

He concluded by saying Houthi’s initiative was not met with responsiveness from the opposing party. If no answer is supplied eventually, “the army and the committees are coming for the liberation of the rest of the province.”

The head of the Sanaa negotiating delegation, Muhammad Abd al-Salam, had previously indicated that the leader of the "Ansar Allah" movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, had presented a new initiative for Marib, focused primarily on finding a solution on the governorate level by stopping military operations and confronting "al-Qaeda" and "ISIS" elements.