Yemen unrest - live updates
The Hashid tribe now control a 2km square area of the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, Tom Finn reports from a mosque in the Hasaba area seized by the tribesmen.Speaking above the sound of gun fire Tom says the tribesman control the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of the Interior.There is no one around here, there is no police presence. It is completely occupied by these guys. You can probably hear in the background ongoing machine gun fire.
Tom says there are signs of co-ordination between protesters in Change Square and the tribesman in Hasaba. Doctors who were treating protesters are now treating wounded tribesman, he says. "This is a mosque, that has been changed into a field hospital," he says. "Every now and again tribesman are being bought in. I just saw one guy who was shot in the leg."One of the shaykhs told Tom that president Saleh is trying to drag the country into civil war, and that the tribesman are acting out of self defence. These tribesman here are adamant that president Saleh has decided that he wants to take this up a notch and make it into a military conflict. The protesters are worried that is going to eclipse their peaceful movement. We are expecting to see a big peaceful march later.
Asked whether troops loyal to former general Ali Mushin al-Almar could join the conflict, Tom said:If that were to happen it would be catastrophic, because then it would be the military fighting the military. At the moment Ali Mushin is doing his best to keep clear of this conflict. His main role has been to defend the protesters. We might see him becoming involved if there were attacks on the protest camp in Change Square. But so far they are just guarding that and are staying well clear... If the two things become merged into one it becomes incredibly worrying.
_ Yemen's president Saleh has a history of creating a crisis and then swooping in to solve it in the hope that will distract everyone from the issue at hand, writes Yemen specialist Gregory Johnsen from the Near Eastern Studies department at Princeton University.Johnsen is concerned that Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar, a general who defected from the regime, could become involved in the conflict.Here's an extract of Johnsen's compelling account of the last two days of fighting between the army and forces loyal to the Hashid tribal leader Sadiq al-Ahmar.
Who fired first on Monday is impossible to know - and both sides point the finger at the other. According to reports Sadiq wasn't at home at the time, but a number of opposition leaders were meeting at his house. In hours of fighting, at times with RPGs and rockets, 6 people were reported killed...[On Tuesday] mediation committees visited Sadiq's house in an attempt to defuse the situation. Among the mediators was Jibran Abu Shuwarib, the oldest of the 4 brothers.At some point, and it isn't clear to me when exactly this happened, troops loyal to President Salih shelled Sadiq's house while the mediation committee was inside. This is a big no-no in Yemen, what's known as al-Ayb al-Aswad. It appears that at least one shaykh, the young Muhammad bin Muhammad Abdullah Abu Lahum was killed, while a number of other prominent individuals including Jibran were injured and wounded. Even Ghalib al-Qamish, the head of Yemen's Political Security Organization, and who was part of a mediation committee - although I'm not sure if this was the same one - was injured in shelling during the day.This escalation by government forces will likely have far-reaching consequences.As I write, shelling is still going on around Sadiq's house, and there are rumours that the 1st Armored Division is preparing for war. Meanwhile, tribesmen loyal to Sadiq are rushing south from Amran towards the capital to defend their shaykh, while the US ambassador is reportedly preparing to depart the country.It isn't clear where this headed, or what can be done from the outside, probably not much. Salih has let slip the dogs of war. This is likely to get worse before it gets better.
Dissident tribesmen clash with security forces in Sanaa
France 24: By News Wires (text)
Summary: Clashes between Yemeni security forces and tribesmen loyal to opposition leader Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar resumed after a brief calm on Wednesday, with reports that anti-govt forces had seized control of the state news agency and national airline.
AFP - Tribesmen loyal to a powerful opposition chief have taken control of state news agency Saba in Sanaa, a high-ranking official and witnesses said on Wednesday, as fighting in the Yemeni capital resumed.
Clashes between security forces and Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar's tribesmen broke out in Sanaa on Monday and have left at least 44 people dead, according to an AFP tally based on reports by medics, the government and tribesmen.
The tribesmen also hold the national airline Yemenia and have tried to occupy the interior ministry headquarters, according to witnesses and the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"Sheikh al-Ahmar's men are required to withdraw from the buildings under their control," the official said. "Otherwise, we will force them to do so."
A Saba journalist, said that tribesman had taken over state news agency's headquarters during the night.
"Armed men stormed the Saba headquarters during the night and demanded that we leave," the journalist told AFP on condition of anonymity.
On Monday, a Yemeni official said on condition of anonymity that the tribesmen had taken over the trade and industry ministry.
The buildings controlled by followers of Sheikh al-Ahmar, who heads the powerful Hashid tribal federation, are located in the Al-Hasaba neighbourhood, where he lives, and adjoining streets.Access to the area has been cut by cement blocks and burning tyres placed in the streets.There was a lull in the fighting early Wednesday, but gunbattles broke out again later in the day, an AFP correspondent said.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Sunday explicitly warned of civil war as he refused to sign the transition plan brokered by impoverished Yemen's oil-rich Arab neighbours in the Gulf. Protesters have been demanding his ouster since January.
Sheikh al-Ahmar in March pledged his support for the opposition.
"I announce in the name of all the members of my tribe that I am joining the revolution," Ahmar said, calling for Saleh "to exempt Yemen from the bloodshed and make a quiet exit."
Clashes continue in Yemen
May 25, 2011 -- Updated 0904 GMT (1704 HKT)
(CNN) -- Clashed erupted in a neighborhood in Sanaa Wednesday morning between tribesman and government officials, as unrest continued in Yemen, witnesses said.
The fighting occurred in the Hasabah neighborhood. Yemen state television reported that people were shelling government buildings.
The clashes marked the latest round of conflict in Yemen, a key U.S. ally in the fight against al Qaeda. The country has been roiled by protests for most of the year amid anti-government demonstrations that have swept across much of the Arab world. Protesters want Saleh to step aside after three decades of rule.
Saleh says Yemen will not become a failed state
May 25 (Reuters) - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said he hoped Yemen would not become a failed state or a safehaven for al Qaeda, adding that the Yemeni people wanted a peaceful transition of power.
"Yemen, I hope, will not be a failed state or another Somalia. The people are still keen for a peaceful transition of power," he told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.
"Violence will be eliminated and the economy will be rebuilt," he added. (Reporting by Samia Nakhoul; Writing by Cynthia Johnston)
Yemen unrest - live updates
The Hashid tribe now control a 2km square area of the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, Tom Finn reports from a mosque in the Hasaba area seized by the tribesmen.Speaking above the sound of gun fire Tom says the tribesman control the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of the Interior.There is no one around here, there is no police presence. It is completely occupied by these guys. You can probably hear in the background ongoing machine gun fire.
Tom says there are signs of co-ordination between protesters in Change Square and the tribesman in Hasaba. Doctors who were treating protesters are now treating wounded tribesman, he says. "This is a mosque, that has been changed into a field hospital," he says. "Every now and again tribesman are being bought in. I just saw one guy who was shot in the leg."One of the shaykhs told Tom that president Saleh is trying to drag the country into civil war, and that the tribesman are acting out of self defence. These tribesman here are adamant that president Saleh has decided that he wants to take this up a notch and make it into a military conflict. The protesters are worried that is going to eclipse their peaceful movement. We are expecting to see a big peaceful march later.
Asked whether troops loyal to former general Ali Mushin al-Almar could join the conflict, Tom said:If that were to happen it would be catastrophic, because then it would be the military fighting the military. At the moment Ali Mushin is doing his best to keep clear of this conflict. His main role has been to defend the protesters. We might see him becoming involved if there were attacks on the protest camp in Change Square. But so far they are just guarding that and are staying well clear... If the two things become merged into one it becomes incredibly worrying.
_ Yemen's president Saleh has a history of creating a crisis and then swooping in to solve it in the hope that will distract everyone from the issue at hand, writes Yemen specialist Gregory Johnsen from the Near Eastern Studies department at Princeton University.Johnsen is concerned that Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar, a general who defected from the regime, could become involved in the conflict.Here's an extract of Johnsen's compelling account of the last two days of fighting between the army and forces loyal to the Hashid tribal leader Sadiq al-Ahmar.
Who fired first on Monday is impossible to know - and both sides point the finger at the other. According to reports Sadiq wasn't at home at the time, but a number of opposition leaders were meeting at his house. In hours of fighting, at times with RPGs and rockets, 6 people were reported killed...[On Tuesday] mediation committees visited Sadiq's house in an attempt to defuse the situation. Among the mediators was Jibran Abu Shuwarib, the oldest of the 4 brothers.At some point, and it isn't clear to me when exactly this happened, troops loyal to President Salih shelled Sadiq's house while the mediation committee was inside. This is a big no-no in Yemen, what's known as al-Ayb al-Aswad. It appears that at least one shaykh, the young Muhammad bin Muhammad Abdullah Abu Lahum was killed, while a number of other prominent individuals including Jibran were injured and wounded. Even Ghalib al-Qamish, the head of Yemen's Political Security Organization, and who was part of a mediation committee - although I'm not sure if this was the same one - was injured in shelling during the day.This escalation by government forces will likely have far-reaching consequences.As I write, shelling is still going on around Sadiq's house, and there are rumours that the 1st Armored Division is preparing for war. Meanwhile, tribesmen loyal to Sadiq are rushing south from Amran towards the capital to defend their shaykh, while the US ambassador is reportedly preparing to depart the country.It isn't clear where this headed, or what can be done from the outside, probably not much. Salih has let slip the dogs of war. This is likely to get worse before it gets better.
Dissident tribesmen clash with security forces in Sanaa
The Hashid tribe now control a 2km square area of the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, Tom Finn reports from a mosque in the Hasaba area seized by the tribesmen.
Speaking above the sound of gun fire Tom says the tribesman control the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of the Interior.
There is no one around here, there is no police presence. It is completely occupied by these guys. You can probably hear in the background ongoing machine gun fire.
Tom says there are signs of co-ordination between protesters in Change Square and the tribesman in Hasaba. Doctors who were treating protesters are now treating wounded tribesman, he says. "This is a mosque, that has been changed into a field hospital," he says. "Every now and again tribesman are being bought in. I just saw one guy who was shot in the leg."
One of the shaykhs told Tom that president Saleh is trying to drag the country into civil war, and that the tribesman are acting out of self defence.
These tribesman here are adamant that president Saleh has decided that he wants to take this up a notch and make it into a military conflict. The protesters are worried that is going to eclipse their peaceful movement. We are expecting to see a big peaceful march later.
Asked whether troops loyal to former general Ali Mushin al-Almar could join the conflict, Tom said:
If that were to happen it would be catastrophic, because then it would be the military fighting the military. At the moment Ali Mushin is doing his best to keep clear of this conflict. His main role has been to defend the protesters. We might see him becoming involved if there were attacks on the protest camp in Change Square. But so far they are just guarding that and are staying well clear... If the two things become merged into one it becomes incredibly worrying.
_
Yemen's president Saleh has a history of creating a crisis and then swooping in to solve it in the hope that will distract everyone from the issue at hand, writes Yemen specialist Gregory Johnsen from the Near Eastern Studies department at Princeton University.
Johnsen is concerned that Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar, a general who defected from the regime, could become involved in the conflict.
Here's an extract of Johnsen's compelling account of the last two days of fighting between the army and forces loyal to the Hashid tribal leader Sadiq al-Ahmar.
Who fired first on Monday is impossible to know - and both sides point the finger at the other. According to reports Sadiq wasn't at home at the time, but a number of opposition leaders were meeting at his house. In hours of fighting, at times with RPGs and rockets, 6 people were reported killed...[On Tuesday] mediation committees visited Sadiq's house in an attempt to defuse the situation. Among the mediators was Jibran Abu Shuwarib, the oldest of the 4 brothers.At some point, and it isn't clear to me when exactly this happened, troops loyal to President Salih shelled Sadiq's house while the mediation committee was inside. This is a big no-no in Yemen, what's known as al-Ayb al-Aswad. It appears that at least one shaykh, the young Muhammad bin Muhammad Abdullah Abu Lahum was killed, while a number of other prominent individuals including Jibran were injured and wounded. Even Ghalib al-Qamish, the head of Yemen's Political Security Organization, and who was part of a mediation committee - although I'm not sure if this was the same one - was injured in shelling during the day.This escalation by government forces will likely have far-reaching consequences.As I write, shelling is still going on around Sadiq's house, and there are rumours that the 1st Armored Division is preparing for war. Meanwhile, tribesmen loyal to Sadiq are rushing south from Amran towards the capital to defend their shaykh, while the US ambassador is reportedly preparing to depart the country.It isn't clear where this headed, or what can be done from the outside, probably not much. Salih has let slip the dogs of war. This is likely to get worse before it gets better.
France 24: By News Wires (text)
Summary: Clashes between Yemeni security forces and tribesmen loyal to opposition leader Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar resumed after a brief calm on Wednesday, with reports that anti-govt forces had seized control of the state news agency and national airline.
AFP - Tribesmen loyal to a powerful opposition chief have taken control of state news agency Saba in Sanaa, a high-ranking official and witnesses said on Wednesday, as fighting in the Yemeni capital resumed.
Clashes between security forces and Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar's tribesmen broke out in Sanaa on Monday and have left at least 44 people dead, according to an AFP tally based on reports by medics, the government and tribesmen.
The tribesmen also hold the national airline Yemenia and have tried to occupy the interior ministry headquarters, according to witnesses and the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"Sheikh al-Ahmar's men are required to withdraw from the buildings under their control," the official said. "Otherwise, we will force them to do so."
A Saba journalist, said that tribesman had taken over state news agency's headquarters during the night.
"Armed men stormed the Saba headquarters during the night and demanded that we leave," the journalist told AFP on condition of anonymity.
On Monday, a Yemeni official said on condition of anonymity that the tribesmen had taken over the trade and industry ministry.
The buildings controlled by followers of Sheikh al-Ahmar, who heads the powerful Hashid tribal federation, are located in the Al-Hasaba neighbourhood, where he lives, and adjoining streets.Access to the area has been cut by cement blocks and burning tyres placed in the streets.There was a lull in the fighting early Wednesday, but gunbattles broke out again later in the day, an AFP correspondent said.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Sunday explicitly warned of civil war as he refused to sign the transition plan brokered by impoverished Yemen's oil-rich Arab neighbours in the Gulf. Protesters have been demanding his ouster since January.
Sheikh al-Ahmar in March pledged his support for the opposition.
"I announce in the name of all the members of my tribe that I am joining the revolution," Ahmar said, calling for Saleh "to exempt Yemen from the bloodshed and make a quiet exit."
Clashes continue in Yemen
May 25, 2011 -- Updated 0904 GMT (1704 HKT)
(CNN) -- Clashed erupted in a neighborhood in Sanaa Wednesday morning between tribesman and government officials, as unrest continued in Yemen, witnesses said.
The fighting occurred in the Hasabah neighborhood. Yemen state television reported that people were shelling government buildings.
The clashes marked the latest round of conflict in Yemen, a key U.S. ally in the fight against al Qaeda. The country has been roiled by protests for most of the year amid anti-government demonstrations that have swept across much of the Arab world. Protesters want Saleh to step aside after three decades of rule.
May 25 (Reuters) - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said he hoped Yemen would not become a failed state or a safehaven for al Qaeda, adding that the Yemeni people wanted a peaceful transition of power.
"Yemen, I hope, will not be a failed state or another Somalia. The people are still keen for a peaceful transition of power," he told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.
"Violence will be eliminated and the economy will be rebuilt," he added. (Reporting by Samia Nakhoul; Writing by Cynthia Johnston)
Yemen president says won't be dragged into civil war
May 25 (Reuters) - Yemen's entrenched President Ali Abdullah Saleh said on Wednesday he would not be dragged into civil war despite clashes with the leader of a powerful tribal confederation who has sided with protesters seeking his ouster.
"What happened was a provocative act to drag us into civil war, but it is limited to the Ahmar sons. They bear responsibility for shedding the blood of innocent civilians. Until this second, they are attacking the interior ministry. But we don't want to widen the confrontation," Saleh told selected media. (Reporting by Samia Nakhoul; Writing by Cynthia Johnston)
UK's Hague urges Yemen president to sign transition deal
May 25 (Reuters) - Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Wednesday Yemen's president should sign a transition of power deal "as soon as possible".
President Ali Abdullah Saleh said he was ready to sign such a deal on Wednesday within the framework of dialogue, but would fight those who threaten security and stability in the country which has seen protests calling for him to stand down.
He also said he does not take orders from any foreign powers.
"He should sign the agreement, he has been on the brink of doing so for some time," Hague told Sky News.
"We have urged him to do so, and it's not really a question of taking orders from foreign powers, it is in the interest of his own country and his own interest now for there to a be a transition of power in the deal that has been mediated.
"So I very much hope the president will sign that agreement and do so as soon as possible." (Writing by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Keith Weir)
Yemen machinegun clashes resume in capital Sanaa
May 25 (Reuters) - Yemeni loyalist forces sparred in machinegun battles with guards loyal to a wealthy tribal leader who has sided with protesters seeking the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, witnesses said. "Clashes resumed anew and the sound of sporadic gunfire could be heard in the area," one witness said. (Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Cynthia Johnston; Editing by Erika Solomon)
اليمن: 41 قتيلاً بمواجهات وصالح يدعو لوقف العنف
صنعاء، اليمن (CNN) -- دعا الرئيس اليمني، علي عبدالله صالح الموالين إلى الزعيم القبلي، الشيخ عبدالله بن حسين الأحمر، إلى وقف أعمال عنف اندلعت، الثلاثاء، بعيد استهداف القوات اليمنية لمنزل الزعيم القبلي بقذائف المدفعية الثقيلة، في مواجهات سقط فيها 41 قتيلاً، الثلاثاء.
ودعا صالح أولاد الشيخ الأحمر إلى وقف اعتداءاتهم على أفراد الأمن والانسحاب من المباني والمنشآت العامة التي قاموا بمهاجمتها والسيطرة عليها.
وحمل الأحمر، في بيان صادر عنه، الرئيس اليمني بتفجير الوضع في منطقة الحصبة بعد أن قام ومنذ عدة أسابيع باستحداثات عسكرية وحشد مجاميع مسلحة في عدة أماكن قريبة من منزل الشيخ عبد الله بن حسين.
وقال مسؤول بارز في مكتب الأحمر إن صالح يترجم تهديداته بأن اليمن يوشك الدخول في حرب أهلية إلى أفعال، مؤكداً أن "قبائل اليمن ستنضم إلى مناهضي صالح."
ووفقاً لمصدر من وزارة الداخلية اليمنية والناطق باسم الحكومة فأن 14 جندياً وعشرة مدنيين قتلوا في عنف الثلاثاء.
وكانت الاشتباكات قد تجددت، الثلاثاء قرب منزل شيخ شيوخ قبيلة "حاشد"، الشيخ صادق الأحمر، حيث استهدفت القوات الموالية للرئيس اليمني منزل الزعيم القبلي بقذائف المدفعية الثقيلة، كما شوهدت مروحيات تابعة للجيش اليمني تحلق في الأجواء فوق منزل الشيخ الأحمر.
تأتي هذه الاشتباكات بعد يوم من مواجهات عنيفة بين المسلحين القبليين والقوات الحكومية الاثنين، أسفرت عن سقوط العديد القتلى والجرحى، كما سيطر المسلحون على عدد من المباني الحكومية في صنعاء، من بينها وزارة التجارة والصناعة، كما هاجموا مقر وزارة الداخلية.
إلى ذلك، أفادت وكالة الأنباء اليمنية الرسمية "سبأ" بتدمير ثلاثة طوابق من مبنى الوكالة، كما دُمرت شبكتها التقنية، جراء إطلاق نار كثيف على المبنى، بمختلف أنواع الأسلحة من قبل عناصر مسلحة تابعة لأولاد الشيخ عبد الله بن حسين الأحمر.
وذكرت "سبأ" أن المهاجمين استخدموا الأسلحة الرشاشة، وقذائف "أر بي جي"، وصورايخ "لاو"، مشيرة إلى أن إطلاق النار على مبنى الوكالة استمر من الثانية بعد الظهر، حتى السابعة من مساء الاثنين، وقالت إن اثنين من صحفييها أُصيبا نتيجة القصف.
إلى ذلك، حمّلت وزارة الداخلية "أولاد الأحمر" مسؤولية المواجهات المسلحة التي تشهدها العاصمة اليمنية لليوم الثاني على التوالي، مشيرةً إلى قيام من وصفتهم بـ"عصابة مسلحة"، بمهاجمة إحدى الدوريات التابعة للشرطة، مما أدى إلى "استشهاد" أحد الجنود، وإصابة خمسة آخرين.
وقال مسؤول أمني إن المسلحين قاموا بعد ذلك، بمهاجمة كل من مدرسة "الرماح"، وقسم الشرطة بـ"الحصبة"، ومعهد الإرشاد والتوجيه، ومبنى وزارة الصناعة والتجارة، ومبنى الخطوط الجوية اليمنية، حيث أطلقوا عدداً من القذائف باتجاه الدور الخاص بمكاتب طيران "السعيدة"، ما أدى إلى احتراق تلك المكاتب.
وعلى صعيد الاحتجاجات في ساحة التغيير بوسط صنعاء، قال شهود عيان لـCNN إن الجنود المنشقين عن الجيش يعملون على حراسة المحتجين المعتصمين في الساحة منذ أكثر من شهرين للمطالبة بتنحي صالح بعد ثلاثة عقود في السلطة.
وكان المجلس الوزاري لدول مجلس التعاون الخليجي قد أعلن مساء الاثنين تعليق مبادرتهم لحل الأزمة اليمنية وتتضمن نقل سلمي للسلطة.
Yemen unrest: Dozens die in Sanaa violence
BBC: 25 May 2011 Last updated at 06:16 GMT
At least thirty-eight people have been killed in renewed fighting between Yemen's security forces and armed members of the country's biggest tribe.
The violence flared after President Abdullah Saleh's refusal to sign a Gulf-brokered transition deal on Sunday.
Wendy Urquhart reports.
Yemen: 38 killed as tribe battles government forces
BBC: 24 May 2011 Last updated at 21:20 GMT
Witnesses reported machine-gun and heavy weapons fire in a northern district of the capital, Sanaa.
Some of the clashes were around the home of tribal leader Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, who has joined protests against President Abdullah Saleh's rule.
The two sides also fought outside several key government ministries.
Sheikh Ahmar, head of the powerful Hashid tribe, is a former supporter of the president. He joined the anti-government protests against Mr Saleh in March.
"The clashes were violent. The sound of machine gun and mortar fire could be heard everywhere, " one witness told Reuters news agency.
Medical sources said 24 tribesmen were killed while government officials said 14 security personnel were killed in Tuesday's fighting.
The clashes flared after two tribal fighters were reported killed and 25 other fighters wounded on Monday.
The violence follows Mr Saleh's refusal to sign a Gulf-brokered transition deal on Sunday.
He said he would only sign in the presence of opposition leaders.
The deal called for Mr Saleh to step down within a month after 33 years in office and hand over power to a unity government. It would also have given the president immunity from prosecution.
Mr Saleh has been criticised by Western powers, in particular the US and France, for failing to agree to a transfer of power.
Meanwhile, many protesters - inspired by the successful revolts in Tunisia and Egypt - say the Gulf accord does not go far enough, and are calling for Mr Saleh's immediate departure.
In March, Sheikh Ahmar said he was "joining the revolution" and called on Mr Saleh, himself a member of the Hashid tribe, "to exempt Yemen from the bloodshed and make a quiet exit".
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