Yemeni arms blacklist names negotiator

SANAA, Yemen, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The chief mediator between the Yemeni government and al-Houthi rebels tops a list of blacklisted arms dealers, official reports claim.

The Yemeni government circulated a list of blacklisted arms dealers that includes Faris Manaa, who the official Saba news agency identifies as a chief mediator between the government and al-Houthi rebels.

The report adds there may be more weapons in the country than there are people.

Parts of Yemen descended into spiraling conflict in early August as the government launched a major crackdown on Shiite al-Houthi rebels operating in the northern provinces.

That conflict prompted the United Nations and several relief organizations to issue appeals for assistance as the violence has created a humanitarian disaster for members of the displaced community.

Apart from the humanitarian situation, the conflict in Yemen has spilled over to the region, with Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia weighing in on the violence.

In the latest developments, Saba reports that Egyptian officials have delivered messages to their Yemeni counterparts denying their involvement in the conflict.

The official report says Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak delivered a message to his Yemeni counterpart, Ali Abdullah Saleh, assuring him of Cairo's support for Yemeni security, stability and unity.