Monday, 06 June 2011
Anti-government protesters spray foam and wave the national flag to celebrate Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's departure to Saudi Arabia in Sanaa. (File Photo)
President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen was recovering from an operation in Saudi Arabia to remove shrapnel from his chest while a truce between his troops and a tribal federation appeared to be holding.
Protesters, interpreting Mr. Saleh’s absence as a sign that his grip on power was weakening, celebrated on the streets of Sana’a where they have been staging anti-government demonstrations since January.
“Who is next?,” asked one banner held up by a protesters in a sea of red, white and black Yemeni flags, referring to the wave of uprisings in Arab world that has seen the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt toppled and inspired uprisings elsewhere.
Protesters, interpreting Mr. Saleh’s absence as a sign that his grip on power was weakening, celebrated on the streets of Sana’a where they have been staging anti-government demonstrations since January.
“Who is next?,” asked one banner held up by a protesters in a sea of red, white and black Yemeni flags, referring to the wave of uprisings in Arab world that has seen the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt toppled and inspired uprisings elsewhere.
President Saleh is a perennial survivor who has stayed in power for 32 years
President Saleh was wounded on Friday when a rocket was fired into his presidential palace in Sana’a, killing seven others and injuring his closest advisers. He is being treated in a Riyadh hospital, according to Reuters.
He left as acting president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the vice president who is seen by many as having little power. Leaving Yemen at a time of such instability, even for medical care, could make it hard for Mr. Saleh to retain power.
Early on Monday, a truce between troops loyal President Saleh and the Ahmar group, leader of Yemen’s Hashed tribal federation, appeared to be holding, offering some respite after two weeks of fighting in the capital in which more than 200 people have been killed.
Al Ahmar said in a statement he agreed to the deal, which requires his forces to leave the streets and government ministries they seized starting Monday.
Key in the coming days will be any news of Mr. Saleh’s condition and any signals from Saudi Arabia on whether he will be able to return to Yemen—or whether Riyadh will apply pressure on President Saleh to step down.
The departure of Mr. Saleh set off wild street celebrations Sunday in the capital, where crowds danced, sang and slaughtered cows in hopes that this spelled a victorious end to a more than three-month campaign to push their leader from power, The Associated Press reported.
Behind the festive atmosphere, many feared President Saleh will yet return or leave the country in ruins if he can’t. Hanging in the balance was a country that even before the latest tumult was beset by deep poverty, malnutrition, tribal conflict and violence by an active Al Qaeda franchise with international reach.
Mr. Saleh, 65, a political survivor who has ruled the impoverished country at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula for nearly 33 years, had so far managed to remain despite the defection of his top generals and ambassadors.
President Saleh has exasperated his former US and Saudi allies, who once saw him as a key partner in efforts to combat Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, by repeatedly reneging on a Gulf-brokered deal for him to quit in return for immunity.
“The kingdom (Saudi Arabia) will convince President Saleh to agree to the Gulf-brokered exit so that the situation can be resolved peacefully and without bloodshed,” said Saudi analyst Abdulaziz Kasem, Reuters reported.
Mr. Saleh's fall could also give renewed impetus to protest movements around the region.
“The departure of Mr. Saleh is a turning point not just for the Yemeni revolution but also is a huge push for the current changes in the Arab region and is the start of the real victory,” Zaki Bani Rusheid, a leading figure in Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood, told Reuters.
Egyptian political scientist Hassan Nafaa agreed: “The ‘Arab Spring’ will continue, Arab people are in a state of total rejection of their current ruling systems.”
An opposition party official said Sunday that international mediators, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, tried to get President Saleh to sign a presidential decree passing power to his vice president before he left for Saudi Arabia—a strong indication that they are trying to push Mr. Saleh from power permanently, according to AP.
Mr. Saleh refused to sign the declaration, offering only a verbal agreement, but the negotiations delayed his departure, the official said.
A foreign diplomat involved in Saleh’s trip confirmed the story to AP. Both spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private talks.
“Who would have believed that this people could have removed the tyrant?” said 30-year-old teacher Moufid Al Mutairi.
Women in black veils joined demonstrators carrying banners that hailed Saleh’s departure. One read: “The oppressor is gone, but the people stay.”
But there were also fears that the president would attempt a comeback or try to transfer power to his son Ahmed, who heads the Republican Guard and remains in the nation of 24 million people. Some worried Saleh and his allies could even try to leave the country in ruins if they feel there is no way to stay in power.
“Saleh is never true to his word,” Mutairi, the teacher, told AP. “If the medical reports are true that his wounds are light, then he will for sure return. Our challenge now is to remove the rest of the regime.”
“If he returns, it will be a disaster.”
(Abeer Tayel, a senior editor at Al Arabiya English, can be reached at: abeer.tayel@mbc.net
He left as acting president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the vice president who is seen by many as having little power. Leaving Yemen at a time of such instability, even for medical care, could make it hard for Mr. Saleh to retain power.
Early on Monday, a truce between troops loyal President Saleh and the Ahmar group, leader of Yemen’s Hashed tribal federation, appeared to be holding, offering some respite after two weeks of fighting in the capital in which more than 200 people have been killed.
Al Ahmar said in a statement he agreed to the deal, which requires his forces to leave the streets and government ministries they seized starting Monday.
Key in the coming days will be any news of Mr. Saleh’s condition and any signals from Saudi Arabia on whether he will be able to return to Yemen—or whether Riyadh will apply pressure on President Saleh to step down.
The departure of Mr. Saleh set off wild street celebrations Sunday in the capital, where crowds danced, sang and slaughtered cows in hopes that this spelled a victorious end to a more than three-month campaign to push their leader from power, The Associated Press reported.
Behind the festive atmosphere, many feared President Saleh will yet return or leave the country in ruins if he can’t. Hanging in the balance was a country that even before the latest tumult was beset by deep poverty, malnutrition, tribal conflict and violence by an active Al Qaeda franchise with international reach.
Mr. Saleh, 65, a political survivor who has ruled the impoverished country at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula for nearly 33 years, had so far managed to remain despite the defection of his top generals and ambassadors.
President Saleh has exasperated his former US and Saudi allies, who once saw him as a key partner in efforts to combat Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, by repeatedly reneging on a Gulf-brokered deal for him to quit in return for immunity.
“The kingdom (Saudi Arabia) will convince President Saleh to agree to the Gulf-brokered exit so that the situation can be resolved peacefully and without bloodshed,” said Saudi analyst Abdulaziz Kasem, Reuters reported.
Mr. Saleh's fall could also give renewed impetus to protest movements around the region.
“The departure of Mr. Saleh is a turning point not just for the Yemeni revolution but also is a huge push for the current changes in the Arab region and is the start of the real victory,” Zaki Bani Rusheid, a leading figure in Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood, told Reuters.
Egyptian political scientist Hassan Nafaa agreed: “The ‘Arab Spring’ will continue, Arab people are in a state of total rejection of their current ruling systems.”
An opposition party official said Sunday that international mediators, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, tried to get President Saleh to sign a presidential decree passing power to his vice president before he left for Saudi Arabia—a strong indication that they are trying to push Mr. Saleh from power permanently, according to AP.
Mr. Saleh refused to sign the declaration, offering only a verbal agreement, but the negotiations delayed his departure, the official said.
A foreign diplomat involved in Saleh’s trip confirmed the story to AP. Both spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private talks.
“Who would have believed that this people could have removed the tyrant?” said 30-year-old teacher Moufid Al Mutairi.
Women in black veils joined demonstrators carrying banners that hailed Saleh’s departure. One read: “The oppressor is gone, but the people stay.”
But there were also fears that the president would attempt a comeback or try to transfer power to his son Ahmed, who heads the Republican Guard and remains in the nation of 24 million people. Some worried Saleh and his allies could even try to leave the country in ruins if they feel there is no way to stay in power.
“Saleh is never true to his word,” Mutairi, the teacher, told AP. “If the medical reports are true that his wounds are light, then he will for sure return. Our challenge now is to remove the rest of the regime.”
“If he returns, it will be a disaster.”
(Abeer Tayel, a senior editor at Al Arabiya English, can be reached at: abeer.tayel@mbc.net
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