Rebels 'not serious' about peace talks: Yemen FM

The weekend recapture of positions in southern Yemen by Huthi rebels shows they are "not serious" about expected UN-led peace talks, Yemen's foreign minister said on Monday.

"We want to go to negotiations in Geneva," Riad Yassin told AFP on the sidelines of an Arab League meeting in the Saudi capital.

"But what they are doing inside Taez, and they are trying to re-attack places in the south... shows that really they are not serious."

Saudi Arabia, which has led an Arab coalition fighting the rebels in support of local forces since late March, has been optimistic the talks would get underway this month.

With the United Nations also in a new push for talks, after previous stalled attempts at negotiations, UN chief Ban Ki-moon was due in the Saudi capital.

He is to open an Arab-South American summit on Tuesday evening, and to hold talks with Saudi leaders.

Ban's special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, told AFP last week that he was "very optimistic" negotiations would start between November 10 and 15.

On Monday a 400-strong Sudanese force arrived in Yemen's port city Aden in support of anti-rebel forces preparing to confront a possible new offensive by Huthis and allied troops loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

On Saturday the rebels recaptured Damt, the second city of Daleh province.

They also made a "limited advance" over the weekend in the coastal city of Dhubab, a military source said.

The central city of Taez has seen heavy fighting between the two sides.

The additional Sudanese troops join 500 who arrived in Aden last month, said a commander of forces loyal to the internationally-backed government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Asked the total number of forces his country has deployed as part of the coalition in Yemen, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour told AFP: "We have got as many as is required."

Caption: Riad Yassin

Photo: yalibnan.com