SANAA, Yemen – The Yemeni foreign minister has announced the suspension of peace talks held in Kuwait with Shiite rebels after weeks of no progress, saying the rebels refuse to accept the legitimacy of the country's internationally-recognized president.
Abdul-Malik al-Mekhlafi said Tuesday in a press conference aired live on the Dubai-based Al Arabiya network that the rebels, known as Houthis, are pushing for the formation of a new government that would give them a share of power.
"The talks are a waste of time and only used to amass forces of the militias," he said.
The Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014, forcing President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to eventually escape to Saudi Arabia.