THE PROSPECT of a peaceful resolution to Yemen’s two-month long crisis was in the balance yesterday as President Ali Abdullah Saleh appeared to reject an exit plan in a speech to thousands of his supporters.
As hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, calling for an end to Mr Saleh’s 32-year rule, gathered for the seventh consecutive Friday prayers protest on the streets of the capital and other major cities across the country, in a “Day of Steadfastness”, Mr Saleh attacked the “interference” of Gulf neighbour Qatar.
“We derive our legitimacy from you, not from any other side, not from Qatar or from any other party … this is bare faced interference in Yemen’s affairs … the initiative proposed by Qatar is unacceptable, we cannot be dictated orders … it is rejected,” said Mr Saleh to a packed crowd of flag waving supporters, in the shadows of the 100-metre high minarets of the imposing Al-Saleh [President’s] Mosque.
Mr Saleh’s speech came a day after Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, said the six-nation members of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) “hope to reach a deal with the Yemeni president to step down”, in Riyadh-based talks.
Although singling out Qatar, Mr Saleh also appeared to renege on a meeting earlier this week with Saudi Arabian, Omani and Qatari representatives of the GCC, during which he welcomed their mediation offer to assist in political negotiations with the coalition of opposition, the Joint Meeting Parties.
“These talks are the best chance for Yemen,” said Yemeni political analyst Abdul Ghani Al-Iryani.
“The stakes are high. Either this works and there’s a peaceful and graceful exit or it is war and a lot of people will die,” said the analyst, referring to potential clashes between the divided army of defected and loyalist units.
Mass demonstrations, both for and against the ailing president, passed off peacefully in the capital, Sana’a, but clashes with security forces in the central city of Taiz left at least one anti-government protester dead and dozens wounded.
Thousands of demonstrators have camped out in the city’s central Tahrir Square for more than six weeks.
“Every day, for six days, the security forces have attacked us,” said one eyewitness in Taiz yesterday afternoon. “This week at least 18 people have been shot dead and we’re still being attacked now,” said the activist, who requested to remain anonymous.
The number of protesters in the city, 130-miles south of Sana’a, has swelled this week, despite the violence, as people from surrounding villages and nearby towns joined demonstrators in solidarity.
Mr Saleh’s rally speech came amid reports the US had halted a record aid deal, worth a potential $1 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal. The military and development aid package to Mr Saleh – a long-time ally of the United States in the fight against Yemen’s al-Qaeda insurgency – was suspended in February as anti-government protests took hold, the newspaper said.
The proposed package included up to $200 million to fund counterterrorism initiatives. Mr Saleh cancelled a planned trip to Washington in the same month.