SANAA (Reuters) - Talks to end a standoff over Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's rule have stopped without a plan to resume, opposition figures said on Sunday, as clashes erupted between the army and militants in the south.
Saleh, who has been alternately conciliatory and defiant, vowed there would be no more concessions to the opposition, who are demanding he step down after 32 years of authoritarian power in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state.
But in a sign that the political back-and-forth on a transfer of power may not be completely dead, the ruling party's governing committee recommended forming a new government to draft a new constitution on the basis of a parliamentary system.
A spokesman for Yemen's main opposition coalition also said the talks had been halted, a development that if it continues would likely raise fears that violence between rival military units could replace the political process.
There was no immediate comment from the government.
Saleh has said he was prepared for a dignified departure but that opposition parties were hijacking the protests to demand he quit without organising a democratic handover.
"I could leave power ... even in a few hours, on condition of maintaining respect and prestige," Saleh told Al Arabiya television. "I have to take the country to safe shores ... I'm holding on to power in order to hand it over peaceably."
But he has seemed to suggest he would stay at least for the short term, sprinkling the interview with warnings that Yemen would slide into civil war and fragment along regional and tribal lines if he left power immediately.
Militants clashed with the Yemeni army in a southern town, feeding Western and Saudi fears the country could slide into chaos that would benefit a resurgent Yemen-based regional arm of al Qaeda if Saleh is forced out.
One soldier was killed on Sunday and jets flew over the town. But residents said militants appeared to have taken control and the army was withdrawing to Abyan's provincial capital, Zinjibar, where witnesses said security measures had been tightened after militants fired rockets at state buildings.
Analysis: "Whether or not President Saleh is using the potential for a widespread armed struggle to delay his stepping down, he is spot-on with his statements of concern. As we have outlined in our past posts, Yemen is a powder keg of militant and separatist groups and, for better or worse, Saleh has been the only person in Yemen's recent history able to stabilize the country. A peaceful and orderly transition would be best for Yemen and the international community."
Read the Full Article here: http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE72H2YX20110327?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0
Showing posts with label Yemen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yemen. Show all posts
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Yemen’s Leader Offers to Hand Power to ‘Safe Hands’
SANA'A, Yemen (NY Times) - As demonstrators for and against President Ali Abdullah Saleh mustered for a new round of competing rallies, the Yemeni leader on Friday said he was ready to yield power but only if he could hand it over to what he termed “safe hands.”
Mr. Saleh was speaking to tens of thousands of supporters at an open-air rally, and while repeating his now frequent offers to relinquish power conditionally, he also made clear that he would remain “steadfast” in challenging what he depicted as violent attempts to oust him.
“I will transfer the power to safe hands, and not to malicious forces who conspire against the homeland,” he said, renewing an offer to open dialogue with young people leading protests against him. The anti-Saleh demonstrators have rejected such offers in the past and have demanded his immediate departure. For his part, Mr. Saleh offered weeks ago to leave office by 2013, but that did not staunch the protests.
Saleh said that his challengers “want to gain power at the expense of martyrs and children.”
Yemeni and American officials said on Thursday that Mr. Saleh was engaged in serious negotiations over the timing and conditions for the end of his 32-year-rule rule, but they cautioned that no deal had been reached. One Yemeni official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the date of Mr. Saleh’s departure appears to be the biggest obstacle. Mr. Saleh’s speech on Friday may have been intended to signal his thinking after a month of protests.
In another television appearance on Thursday, Mr. Saleh struck a defiant pose, referring scornfully to anti-government protesters while offering amnesty to military defectors who return to the government’s side.
“There will be civil war if Saleh leaves early because they (the opposition) don’t want democracy,” pro-Saleh demonstrator Hashis al Asadi said.
Yassin Saeed Noman, the head of the opposition political coalition, has been widely discussed as a possible prime minister in an interim government. He said the terms of Mr. Saleh’s departure were no longer up to the political opposition. “It depends on people in the streets."
Analysis: "President Saleh's bargaining power is slipping as fast as his popular support. With protests continuing to grow and Saleh's traditional power base continually eroding beneath him, the real question now is when, rather than if, Salah will be removed from office. Mr Asadi's warning need be heeded during this process, however. With several organized, motivated, and armed groups spread throughout Yemen, the country is ripe for an extended internal conflict."
Read the Full Article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/world/middleeast/26yemen.html?ref=world
Mr. Saleh was speaking to tens of thousands of supporters at an open-air rally, and while repeating his now frequent offers to relinquish power conditionally, he also made clear that he would remain “steadfast” in challenging what he depicted as violent attempts to oust him.
“I will transfer the power to safe hands, and not to malicious forces who conspire against the homeland,” he said, renewing an offer to open dialogue with young people leading protests against him. The anti-Saleh demonstrators have rejected such offers in the past and have demanded his immediate departure. For his part, Mr. Saleh offered weeks ago to leave office by 2013, but that did not staunch the protests.
Saleh said that his challengers “want to gain power at the expense of martyrs and children.”
Yemeni and American officials said on Thursday that Mr. Saleh was engaged in serious negotiations over the timing and conditions for the end of his 32-year-rule rule, but they cautioned that no deal had been reached. One Yemeni official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the date of Mr. Saleh’s departure appears to be the biggest obstacle. Mr. Saleh’s speech on Friday may have been intended to signal his thinking after a month of protests.
In another television appearance on Thursday, Mr. Saleh struck a defiant pose, referring scornfully to anti-government protesters while offering amnesty to military defectors who return to the government’s side.
“There will be civil war if Saleh leaves early because they (the opposition) don’t want democracy,” pro-Saleh demonstrator Hashis al Asadi said.
Yassin Saeed Noman, the head of the opposition political coalition, has been widely discussed as a possible prime minister in an interim government. He said the terms of Mr. Saleh’s departure were no longer up to the political opposition. “It depends on people in the streets."
Analysis: "President Saleh's bargaining power is slipping as fast as his popular support. With protests continuing to grow and Saleh's traditional power base continually eroding beneath him, the real question now is when, rather than if, Salah will be removed from office. Mr Asadi's warning need be heeded during this process, however. With several organized, motivated, and armed groups spread throughout Yemen, the country is ripe for an extended internal conflict."
Read the Full Article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/world/middleeast/26yemen.html?ref=world
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Yemeni President's Tribe Demands His Resignation
SANAA, Yemen (AP) - The U.S.-backed president of Yemen suffered a devastating political blow on Sunday when his own powerful tribe demanded his resignation, joining religious leaders, young people and the country’s traditional opposition in calls for an end to his three decades in power.
Massive crowds flooded cities and towns around the impoverished and volatile nation, screaming in grief and anger as they mourned dozens of protesters killed Friday when President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s security forces opened fire from rooftops on a demonstration in the capital.
Saleh appeared to be trying to hold on, firing his entire Cabinet ahead of what one government official said was a planned mass resignation, but making no mention of stepping down himself. Yemen’s ambassador to the United Nations and its human rights minister had announced their resignations earlier in the day.
Many said he would now be forced to choose between stepping down and confronting demonstrators with even deadlier force.
“We’re talking a new set of dynamics that are driving the conflict into either the resignation of Saleh or a very serious clash between the two sides,” said Ibrahim Sharqieh, deputy director of the Brookings Doha Center. “The U.S. should work now on an orderly transition in Yemen and press Saleh to find an arrangement that doesn’t allow chaos.” Sharqieh said from Washington that it was far from clear what would replace Saleh if he goes. Options could include a military-run transitional government and an adminstration of traditional political opposition parties.
Saleh and his weak government have faced down many serious challenges, often forging tricky alliances with restive tribes to delicately extend power beyond the capital. Most recently, he has battled an on-and-off, seven-year armed rebellion in the north, a secessionist movement in the south, and an al-Qaida offshoot that is of great concern to the U.S.
“The U.S. just cannot afford losing Yemen,” Sharqieh said.
Analysis: "President Saleh's grip on power in Yemen has been slipping steadily for the past month. However, this most recent blow seems to be the most significant. In a country that values traditional tribal relationships, Saleh has now lost the support of his own home team. The only significant political institution still behind Saleh is the military, and even that relationship is fragile and weak. From this point, Saleh has only two feasible options to retain power: crack down on dissent with widespread and substantial government-sanctioned violence, or attempt to offer even greater concessions to the opposition. Expect to see the initial workings of one of these options exercised in the next few days, but do not expect either to work for long."
Read the Full Article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/powerful_yemen_tribe_calls_on_president_to_step_down_after_bloody_crackdown_on_protests/2011/03/20/ABZt3qz_story.html?wprss=rss_world
Massive crowds flooded cities and towns around the impoverished and volatile nation, screaming in grief and anger as they mourned dozens of protesters killed Friday when President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s security forces opened fire from rooftops on a demonstration in the capital.
Saleh appeared to be trying to hold on, firing his entire Cabinet ahead of what one government official said was a planned mass resignation, but making no mention of stepping down himself. Yemen’s ambassador to the United Nations and its human rights minister had announced their resignations earlier in the day.
Many said he would now be forced to choose between stepping down and confronting demonstrators with even deadlier force.
“We’re talking a new set of dynamics that are driving the conflict into either the resignation of Saleh or a very serious clash between the two sides,” said Ibrahim Sharqieh, deputy director of the Brookings Doha Center. “The U.S. should work now on an orderly transition in Yemen and press Saleh to find an arrangement that doesn’t allow chaos.” Sharqieh said from Washington that it was far from clear what would replace Saleh if he goes. Options could include a military-run transitional government and an adminstration of traditional political opposition parties.
Saleh and his weak government have faced down many serious challenges, often forging tricky alliances with restive tribes to delicately extend power beyond the capital. Most recently, he has battled an on-and-off, seven-year armed rebellion in the north, a secessionist movement in the south, and an al-Qaida offshoot that is of great concern to the U.S.
“The U.S. just cannot afford losing Yemen,” Sharqieh said.
Analysis: "President Saleh's grip on power in Yemen has been slipping steadily for the past month. However, this most recent blow seems to be the most significant. In a country that values traditional tribal relationships, Saleh has now lost the support of his own home team. The only significant political institution still behind Saleh is the military, and even that relationship is fragile and weak. From this point, Saleh has only two feasible options to retain power: crack down on dissent with widespread and substantial government-sanctioned violence, or attempt to offer even greater concessions to the opposition. Expect to see the initial workings of one of these options exercised in the next few days, but do not expect either to work for long."
Read the Full Article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/powerful_yemen_tribe_calls_on_president_to_step_down_after_bloody_crackdown_on_protests/2011/03/20/ABZt3qz_story.html?wprss=rss_world
Friday, March 18, 2011
Yemeni Snipers Open Fire of Protesters, Killing 40
SANA'A, Yemen (AP) - Yemeni government snipers firing from rooftops and houses shot into a crowd of tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators on Friday, killing at least 40 people and injuring hundreds demanding the ouster of the autocratic president.
The protest in the central square was the largest yet in the popular uprising that began a month ago — and the harsh government response marked a new level of brutality from the security forces of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a key — if uneasy — ally in the U.S. campaign against al-Qaida who has ruled Yemen for 30 years.
Saleh declared a nationwide state of emergency hours after the shootings in the capital, formally giving the security forces a freer hand to confront the demonstrators. There was no word on how long the emergency laws would remain in place. Dozens of enraged protesters stormed several buildings that were the source of the gunfire, detaining 10 people including paid thugs who they said would be handed over to judicial authorities.
Demonstrators have camped out in squares across Yemen for over a month to demand that Saleh leave office. Security forces and pro-government thugs have used live fire, rubber bullets, tear gas, sticks, knives and rocks to suppress them. The protesters say they won't go until Saleh does.
Before the shooting Friday in Sanaa, a military helicopter flew low over the square as protesters arrived from prayers. Gunfire soon erupted from rooftops and houses above the demonstrators, where witnesses said beige-clad elite forces and plainclothes security officials took aim.
A state TV report denied government forces were behind the gunfire. Police used burning tires and gasoline to make a wall of fire that blocked demonstrators from fleeing down a main road leading to sensitive locations, including the president's residence.
Saleh announced a press conference later Friday. Opposition groups also planned an emergency meeting to discuss their next steps.
Analysis: "This event marks a dramatic escalation in protest violence under President Saleh. The Friday "Days of Rage" protests have seen the largest turnouts across the region, and therefore have been met with the most force. The decision to use sniper fire, as well as the indiscriminate targeting of protesters, will not make things easier for the Yemeni president. Expect more protest violence for the country in the coming week. The nature of these protests will speak volumes for what direction Yemen will head in the near future, but expect an escalation in violence."
Read the Full Article here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110318/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_yemen
The protest in the central square was the largest yet in the popular uprising that began a month ago — and the harsh government response marked a new level of brutality from the security forces of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a key — if uneasy — ally in the U.S. campaign against al-Qaida who has ruled Yemen for 30 years.
Saleh declared a nationwide state of emergency hours after the shootings in the capital, formally giving the security forces a freer hand to confront the demonstrators. There was no word on how long the emergency laws would remain in place. Dozens of enraged protesters stormed several buildings that were the source of the gunfire, detaining 10 people including paid thugs who they said would be handed over to judicial authorities.
Demonstrators have camped out in squares across Yemen for over a month to demand that Saleh leave office. Security forces and pro-government thugs have used live fire, rubber bullets, tear gas, sticks, knives and rocks to suppress them. The protesters say they won't go until Saleh does.
Before the shooting Friday in Sanaa, a military helicopter flew low over the square as protesters arrived from prayers. Gunfire soon erupted from rooftops and houses above the demonstrators, where witnesses said beige-clad elite forces and plainclothes security officials took aim.
A state TV report denied government forces were behind the gunfire. Police used burning tires and gasoline to make a wall of fire that blocked demonstrators from fleeing down a main road leading to sensitive locations, including the president's residence.
Saleh announced a press conference later Friday. Opposition groups also planned an emergency meeting to discuss their next steps.
Analysis: "This event marks a dramatic escalation in protest violence under President Saleh. The Friday "Days of Rage" protests have seen the largest turnouts across the region, and therefore have been met with the most force. The decision to use sniper fire, as well as the indiscriminate targeting of protesters, will not make things easier for the Yemeni president. Expect more protest violence for the country in the coming week. The nature of these protests will speak volumes for what direction Yemen will head in the near future, but expect an escalation in violence."
Read the Full Article here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110318/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_yemen
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Yemen On the Brink of a Showdown
SANA'A, Yemen (TIME) - What began as a simmer in the Arab World's poorest and most capricious state has suddenly started to come to a boil. In Yemen's mountain capital of Sana'a, the threat of civil war hangs like a bad taste in the dusty air. Motley marches of pro- and anti-government protesters block the streets, and tens of thousands of armed tribesmen wait in murky rooms around the country for orders from their chiefs. The mood in the capital is tense.
Yemen's opposition, a loose coalition of parties from Nasserites to socialists to Islamic clerics, now has the ability to rally large numbers. And late Monday night, it quashed a last-ditch attempt by President Ali Abdullah Saleh to form a unity government. Gangs on motorcycles streamed through the streets, draped in red, white and black Yemeni flags, demanding that the President leave. There were fears that pro- and anti-government protesters could face off around the capital; a solitary military helicopter flew low over the capital as the regime very publicly flexed its muscles.
With the situation looking more and more desperate, Saleh offered on Monday to form a unity government with the opposition. The pitch included the formation of a coalition, an end to all demonstrations, the release of prisoners held without trial and the start of corruption investigations. Saleh's plan backfired. After publicly rebuffing the proposal, opposition spokesman Mohammed al-Qubati said, "Saleh has only two options: either to be a former President or a deposed President."
Yemen's opposition, a loose coalition of parties from Nasserites to socialists to Islamic clerics, now has the ability to rally large numbers. And late Monday night, it quashed a last-ditch attempt by President Ali Abdullah Saleh to form a unity government. Gangs on motorcycles streamed through the streets, draped in red, white and black Yemeni flags, demanding that the President leave. There were fears that pro- and anti-government protesters could face off around the capital; a solitary military helicopter flew low over the capital as the regime very publicly flexed its muscles.
With the situation looking more and more desperate, Saleh offered on Monday to form a unity government with the opposition. The pitch included the formation of a coalition, an end to all demonstrations, the release of prisoners held without trial and the start of corruption investigations. Saleh's plan backfired. After publicly rebuffing the proposal, opposition spokesman Mohammed al-Qubati said, "Saleh has only two options: either to be a former President or a deposed President."
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