RIMBO, Sweden — Yemen’s government is willing to accept a UN role in Hodeida’s seaport, a lifeline for millions of people during the country’s war, but not a long-term presence in the city itself, Foreign Minister Khalid Al-Yamani said on Monday.

Yamani told Reuters that Hodeida, which is currently held by the Iranian-aligned Houthi group, should come under the control of his government.

“The concept of peacekeeping or some sort of permanent presence of the UN — boots on the ground — or making the city as neutral is something that we will never accept,” he said on the sidelines of the talks.

Yamani, who heads the government delegation, said the city should be placed under the control of the Interior Ministry’s police forces as a matter of sovereignty.

However, the government is willing to accept the deployment of monitors from the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) in the port, the entry point for most of Yemen’s commercial goods and aid supplies.

It could also accept the transfer of port revenues to the central bank in Hodeida instead of routing them to Aden, the minister said.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Project for Landmines Clearance in Yemen (MASAM) has removed as many as 22,952 mines, ranging from anti-personnel mines to other explosive devices and unexploded ordinances planted by the Houthi militias from various Yemeni regions.

A total of 6,667 mines cleared in November. These were planted by the militia even at schools and houses. The militias tried to hide them in different shapes and colors, killing and injuring a large number of children, women and the elderly.

MASAM project is part of a $40 million initiative by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief). — Reuters