Conflict with Shia rebels is over, says Yemeni president

The Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, today declared an end to a long-running war with Shia rebels in the north of the country. Saleh said a ceasefire with Houthi separatists had begun yesterday. "The war is over, not stopped or in a truce," he told the Arabic al-Arabiya TV station. Rebels have been fighting the central government since 2004 in a conflict that has seen more than 175,000 people displaced into refugee camps . It has resulted in several thousand deaths and spilled over into neighbouring Saudi Arabia last year. It is believed that part of the deal to end the conflict will include landmines and roadblocks being removed by rebels. "These are considered positive indications to prove good intention not to return to a new war," Saleh said. News of the peace deal came a day after the Yemeni government said it would free Houthi rebel prisoners as part of the truce. The Houthis, part of a powerful clan believed to have between 5,000 and 10,000 fighters, have used roadside bombs, rockets and other arms to protest against perceived religious, political and economic discrimination by the government. The path to a settlement has not been easy, with the government recently accusing the rebels of returning to vacated positions and holding on to cleared landmines. Some have questioned how long a ceasefire between the two groups will last, but a statement released by the rebel leader, Abdel-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi, said fighters would "cease combat on all fronts". "Once the ceasefire is consolidated, we will proceed to reopening roads and dismantling checkpoints and barricades," he said. The rebels are reported to have released around 170 pro-government fighters. The end of hostilities with the Houthis closes one of three fronts on which Yemeni government forces have been battling. The government still faces pressure from western countries and neighbouring Arab nations to deal with al-Qaida militants who have taken advantage of instability to establish militant training camps. It is still also involved in fighting separatists in the south, who have staged demonstrations calling for independence amid reports of escalating violence.