Wednesday, 04 May 2011
A Yemeni official visiting the poet Waleed al-Rumaishi who had his tongue cut off.
Who cut Yemeni poet Waleed al-Rumaishi’s tongue in a brutal assault? And why?
The gruesome incident, which was reported by Al Arabiya TV on Wednesday, has triggered an exchange of accusations between the opposition and the government of embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
It is not known whether Mr. Al-Rumaishi, who hails from Shi’an district of the southwest province of Ibb known for being the poets’ hub, is for or against the government.
The gruesome incident, which was reported by Al Arabiya TV on Wednesday, has triggered an exchange of accusations between the opposition and the government of embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
It is not known whether Mr. Al-Rumaishi, who hails from Shi’an district of the southwest province of Ibb known for being the poets’ hub, is for or against the government.
But the hideous action against him recalls the 24-year reign of Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, when dissidents had their foreheads tattooed, and fingers and tongues cut off.
On Tuesday, Ibb witnessed demonstrations led by thousands of its citizens denouncing violence against protesters in the country on Tuesday.
The demonstrators who took to the streets made it known that they rejected the deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council that called for Mr. Saleh to leave office within a month. The deal also promised him immunity from prosecution. Despite the immunity offer, Mr. Saleh rejected the proposal.
Yemen is not a member of the six-nation GCC. Two of its most diplomatically influential members, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were mainly responsible for structuring the exit deal for Mr. Saleh. Yemen receives considerable annual aid from the GCC countries, whose other members are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
The protesters called for an indictment of Mr. Saleh for alleged financial malfeasance.
They also accuse the government of stealing and burning automobiles, and thus endangering Yemen’s public safety and security. And the protesters have charged that hooligans affiliated with the government have infiltrated the pro-democracy movement in order to create chaos and mayhem.
Separately, Eman El-Shenawi of Al Arabiya reported:
At least 20,000 more people are out of work following the ongoing civil unrest in Yemen, Al Hayat newspaper said.
The country is in a state of complete paralysis from the shutdown of companies and factories, while tourism, transport and investment sectors have been hit hard, the newspaper said.
Hamoud Abdallah, a grocery store owner, closed his shop since the protests erupted two-and-a-half months ago.
“It is the only source of income for my family of nine,” he said.
The revolutionary disruption has halted trade in Mr. Abdullah’s entire neighborhood in the Yemeni capital Sana’a. Sana’a is home to Taghyeer square–the protesters’ focal point in the ongoing revolt.
Hisham Sharaf, the Minister of Industry and Trade, had said in a statement that the heavy losses inflicted on the Yemeni economy reached $5 billion since the protests began.
According to on-the-ground reports, Yemen’s internal trade is facing a recession of more than 60 percent since the outbreak of the protests. This would raise the prices of basic food and commodities for the Yemeni population of 24 million.
Yemen, with a national unemployment rate of 35 percent, has an annual GDP of $61.8 billion and percapita income of $2,600.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced that its president and a number of traders have joined in support of the revolutionary movement and the major demand for President Saleh to step down.
Meanwhile, others in the organization remained supporters of the Yemeni political system, encouraging what they see as constitutional legitimacy.
A senior employee in the Chamber, who declined to be named, said that the current situation has brought misery, unemployment, growing poverty and lack of security, education and health services for Yemenis.
He added: “The financial and organizational corruption alongside the lack of judicial fairness has affected the performance of the private sector and its contribution to the development of the country's economy.”
“This has created an environment that is harmful to domestic investment and unable to attract foreign investment,” he said.
Analysts have noted that the Yemeni oil sector, which accounts for 80 percent of Yemen’s GDP, has also affected current economic developments.
According to official data, the damage set a high floor for oil prices as it affected Yemen’s oil production, exports and domestic consumption. Yemen produces 288,400 barrels per day of oil (bpd) and exports 274,400 bpd.
When protests peaked in Yemen and Syria last week, Brent crude gained 45 cents in one day.
Concerns over Yemen’s export of crude oil had sparked since the explosion of the oil pipeline stretching from Marib to Hodeida at the beginning of the protests.
Meanwhile, the unpopular President Saleh had warned of the danger of economic repercussions of the political crisis in Yemen, stressing that the continuation of this situation will impact on all classes.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has now emphasized that it is redoubling its efforts to ensure the control sale and purchase and that outlets are supplied with necessary goods.
(Dina Al-Shibeeb of Al Arabiya can be reached at: dina.ibrahim@mbc.net. Eman El-Shenawi can be reached at: eman.elshenawi@mbc.net)
On Tuesday, Ibb witnessed demonstrations led by thousands of its citizens denouncing violence against protesters in the country on Tuesday.
The demonstrators who took to the streets made it known that they rejected the deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council that called for Mr. Saleh to leave office within a month. The deal also promised him immunity from prosecution. Despite the immunity offer, Mr. Saleh rejected the proposal.
Yemen is not a member of the six-nation GCC. Two of its most diplomatically influential members, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were mainly responsible for structuring the exit deal for Mr. Saleh. Yemen receives considerable annual aid from the GCC countries, whose other members are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
The protesters called for an indictment of Mr. Saleh for alleged financial malfeasance.
They also accuse the government of stealing and burning automobiles, and thus endangering Yemen’s public safety and security. And the protesters have charged that hooligans affiliated with the government have infiltrated the pro-democracy movement in order to create chaos and mayhem.
Separately, Eman El-Shenawi of Al Arabiya reported:
At least 20,000 more people are out of work following the ongoing civil unrest in Yemen, Al Hayat newspaper said.
The country is in a state of complete paralysis from the shutdown of companies and factories, while tourism, transport and investment sectors have been hit hard, the newspaper said.
Hamoud Abdallah, a grocery store owner, closed his shop since the protests erupted two-and-a-half months ago.
“It is the only source of income for my family of nine,” he said.
The revolutionary disruption has halted trade in Mr. Abdullah’s entire neighborhood in the Yemeni capital Sana’a. Sana’a is home to Taghyeer square–the protesters’ focal point in the ongoing revolt.
Hisham Sharaf, the Minister of Industry and Trade, had said in a statement that the heavy losses inflicted on the Yemeni economy reached $5 billion since the protests began.
According to on-the-ground reports, Yemen’s internal trade is facing a recession of more than 60 percent since the outbreak of the protests. This would raise the prices of basic food and commodities for the Yemeni population of 24 million.
Yemen, with a national unemployment rate of 35 percent, has an annual GDP of $61.8 billion and percapita income of $2,600.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced that its president and a number of traders have joined in support of the revolutionary movement and the major demand for President Saleh to step down.
Meanwhile, others in the organization remained supporters of the Yemeni political system, encouraging what they see as constitutional legitimacy.
A senior employee in the Chamber, who declined to be named, said that the current situation has brought misery, unemployment, growing poverty and lack of security, education and health services for Yemenis.
He added: “The financial and organizational corruption alongside the lack of judicial fairness has affected the performance of the private sector and its contribution to the development of the country's economy.”
“This has created an environment that is harmful to domestic investment and unable to attract foreign investment,” he said.
Analysts have noted that the Yemeni oil sector, which accounts for 80 percent of Yemen’s GDP, has also affected current economic developments.
According to official data, the damage set a high floor for oil prices as it affected Yemen’s oil production, exports and domestic consumption. Yemen produces 288,400 barrels per day of oil (bpd) and exports 274,400 bpd.
When protests peaked in Yemen and Syria last week, Brent crude gained 45 cents in one day.
Concerns over Yemen’s export of crude oil had sparked since the explosion of the oil pipeline stretching from Marib to Hodeida at the beginning of the protests.
Meanwhile, the unpopular President Saleh had warned of the danger of economic repercussions of the political crisis in Yemen, stressing that the continuation of this situation will impact on all classes.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has now emphasized that it is redoubling its efforts to ensure the control sale and purchase and that outlets are supplied with necessary goods.
(Dina Al-Shibeeb of Al Arabiya can be reached at: dina.ibrahim@mbc.net. Eman El-Shenawi can be reached at: eman.elshenawi@mbc.net)
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