DUSHANBE, June 6, 2011, Asia-Plus — After departure of Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh for Saudi Arabia Yemen is threatened with civil war, Suhrob Sharipov, the director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Tajikistan, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
“Even before antigovernment protests that began in the country in February-March this year, Ali Abdullah Saleh and his team were managing the country with difficulty, because Yemen has always been under pressure from local tribal leaders,” said Sharipov, “Besides, pressure from the United States and countries of the European Union has increased on the Yemeni Government recently, because international terrorists have found refuge in some areas of this country.”
The head of Tajik thin tank considers that after the resignation of Yemen’s president the country may plunge into civil war. “Confrontation between tribal leaders for power will intensify that may become a powerful factor for incitement of a civil war in the country,” Sharipov noted. “As a result of anarchy and chaos that may affect Yemen, international terrorist groups will pour into the country.”
In the meantime, Yemenis celebrated into Monday morning what many hope will be a new era without President Ali Abdullah Saleh, now recuperating in Saudi Arabia after an operation to remove shrapnel from his chest, international media outlets report.
According to Reuters, a tenuous truce was holding in Sanaa after two weeks of fighting between Saleh”s forces and a powerful tribal federation which killed more than 200 people and forced thousands to flee, Saleh”s exit to regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, could facilitate efforts to prise him out of power after nearly 33 years in charge of the Arab world”s poorest country.
Tribal leader Ahmar told Reuters on May 27 there is no chance for mediation with Saleh and called on regional and global powers to force him out before the Arabian Peninsula country of 23 million people plunges into civil war. “Ali Abdullah Saleh is a liar, liar, liar,” said Ahmar, leader of the Hashed tribal federation. “We are firm. He will leave this country barefoot.”
It remains unclear whether Mr. Saleh will return to Yemen. There were reports he would remain in Saudi Arabia for two weeks; one week to recover and another for meetings, but it was not known what he planned to do after that. According to the BBC, Yemen”s deputy information minister, Abdu al-Janadi, said Mr. Saleh would be returning. “Saleh is in good health, and he may give up the authority one day but it has to be in a constitutional way,” he said. The BBC says that even if President Saleh wants to return, it is unlikely Saudi Arabia will allow him. Reuters quoted Saudi analyst Abdulaziz Kasem as saying, “The kingdom (Saudi Arabia) will convince Saleh to agree to the Gulf-brokered exit so that the situation can be resolved peacefully and without bloodshed.”
International experts consider that Saleh”s fall could also give renewed impetus to protest movements around the region.
