This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/05/houthis-detain-saleh-loyalists-as-yemeni-capital-gets-back-to-business
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Houthis detain Saleh loyalists as Yemeni capital gets back to business | Houthis detain Saleh loyalists as Yemeni capital gets back to business |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Houthi rebels fighting their former allies in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, have moved against a group of diehard loyalists of the former president who was killed on Monday as he attempted to flee the city. | Houthi rebels fighting their former allies in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, have moved against a group of diehard loyalists of the former president who was killed on Monday as he attempted to flee the city. |
| The clashes near what had been Ali Abdullah Saleh’s house came as residents seized on the relative calmness elsewhere in Sana’a to go out after five days of street fighting to hoard food. | The clashes near what had been Ali Abdullah Saleh’s house came as residents seized on the relative calmness elsewhere in Sana’a to go out after five days of street fighting to hoard food. |
| Sources on the ground told the Guardian that Houthi fighters had coalesced around a small area in Hada Street to remove the last stronghold of remaining Saleh loyalists who had refused to surrender. A video posted by Ansar Allah media centre, a Houthi mouthpiece, showed dozens of detained Saleh loyalist fighters. | Sources on the ground told the Guardian that Houthi fighters had coalesced around a small area in Hada Street to remove the last stronghold of remaining Saleh loyalists who had refused to surrender. A video posted by Ansar Allah media centre, a Houthi mouthpiece, showed dozens of detained Saleh loyalist fighters. |
| Businesses opened as usual on Tuesday and people rushed to stockpile food, fearing a return of the chaotic fighting seen over the weekend as the fragile alliance of Houthi rebels and Saleh forces was shattered. The clashes left at least 230 people dead and thousands more injured. | Businesses opened as usual on Tuesday and people rushed to stockpile food, fearing a return of the chaotic fighting seen over the weekend as the fragile alliance of Houthi rebels and Saleh forces was shattered. The clashes left at least 230 people dead and thousands more injured. |
| Aid workers in Sana’a are in lockdown. Rajat Madhok, a Unicef official said: “Ambulances and medical teams can’t access the injured, people trapped in the fighting cannot buy food and other essential supplies. Aid workers can’t travel and implement critical life-saving programmes.” | Aid workers in Sana’a are in lockdown. Rajat Madhok, a Unicef official said: “Ambulances and medical teams can’t access the injured, people trapped in the fighting cannot buy food and other essential supplies. Aid workers can’t travel and implement critical life-saving programmes.” |
| Resentment towards the Houthis appears to be building, as people who have not been paid salaries for more than a year have become extremely frustrated by the stalemated conflict and Saudi bombing raids. | Resentment towards the Houthis appears to be building, as people who have not been paid salaries for more than a year have become extremely frustrated by the stalemated conflict and Saudi bombing raids. |
| Saleh, a former leader who ruled Yemen for more than 33 years, was killed on Monday by the Iran-backed Houthis after he signalled he was ending his uneasy alliance with the rebels and swapping sides, opening channels to Saudi Arabia. | Saleh, a former leader who ruled Yemen for more than 33 years, was killed on Monday by the Iran-backed Houthis after he signalled he was ending his uneasy alliance with the rebels and swapping sides, opening channels to Saudi Arabia. |
| Saleh’s reluctant departure from power in 2012 – forced on him by the Arab spring – brought his Saudi-backed deputy, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, into office. In 2014, Saleh forged an unlikely alliance with the Houthis, his longtime enemies, helping them to take over Sana’a. | Saleh’s reluctant departure from power in 2012 – forced on him by the Arab spring – brought his Saudi-backed deputy, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, into office. In 2014, Saleh forged an unlikely alliance with the Houthis, his longtime enemies, helping them to take over Sana’a. |
| The offensive forced Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia and sparked a conflict that has plunged the Arab world’s poorest nation into a humanitarian crisis, leaving it on the brink of famine and facing an unprecedented cholera crisis. | The offensive forced Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia and sparked a conflict that has plunged the Arab world’s poorest nation into a humanitarian crisis, leaving it on the brink of famine and facing an unprecedented cholera crisis. |
| Arab spring protests erupt against Ali Abdullah Saleh, in power in Yemen since 1978. He agrees to step down in return for immunity from prosecution | Arab spring protests erupt against Ali Abdullah Saleh, in power in Yemen since 1978. He agrees to step down in return for immunity from prosecution |
| Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Saleh’s former deputy, succeeds him as president. | Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Saleh’s former deputy, succeeds him as president. |
| Anti-Hadi protests hit the capital, Sana’a, after a cut to government fuel subsidies sharply increases fuel prices. | Anti-Hadi protests hit the capital, Sana’a, after a cut to government fuel subsidies sharply increases fuel prices. |
| Houthi rebels take control of most of Sana’a and form an anti-Hadi alliance with forces loyal to Saleh. | Houthi rebels take control of most of Sana’a and form an anti-Hadi alliance with forces loyal to Saleh. |
| The Saleh-Houthi forces seize the presidential palace in Sana’a and Hadi flees to Aden, Yemen’s second city. | The Saleh-Houthi forces seize the presidential palace in Sana’a and Hadi flees to Aden, Yemen’s second city. |
| Saudi Arabia enters the war at the head of a nine-country coalition bombing the rebels in defence of Hadi’s internationally-recognised government. | Saudi Arabia enters the war at the head of a nine-country coalition bombing the rebels in defence of Hadi’s internationally-recognised government. |
| The UN puts the death toll at 10,000 since the Saudi intervention. | The UN puts the death toll at 10,000 since the Saudi intervention. |
| Saudi Arabia tightens its blockade on Yemen, including of humanitarian aid, after a rocket fired from the country falls close to Riyadh. | Saudi Arabia tightens its blockade on Yemen, including of humanitarian aid, after a rocket fired from the country falls close to Riyadh. |
| Saleh reaches out to the Saudi-led coalition, offering to “turn the page” if it lifts the blockade. The Houthis accuse him of a “coup against our alliance” and ambush his convoy as it flees Sana’a. | Saleh reaches out to the Saudi-led coalition, offering to “turn the page” if it lifts the blockade. The Houthis accuse him of a “coup against our alliance” and ambush his convoy as it flees Sana’a. |
| “Saleh was our president since we were born, we don’t know how our life will be without him,” said Mustafa, a resident of Sana’a. “People are sad, even those who I know that used to hate him. Houthi are hated by all people, they are there with the power of weapons and money, Saleh had the power of people around him.” | |
| Although Saleh was accused of corruption and nepotism, he was relatively popular in northern Yemen, which is now in the control of the Houthis. Southern Yemenis, particularly separatists, despised him and many celebrated his death by setting off fireworks. | Although Saleh was accused of corruption and nepotism, he was relatively popular in northern Yemen, which is now in the control of the Houthis. Southern Yemenis, particularly separatists, despised him and many celebrated his death by setting off fireworks. |
| Mustafa said things were “totally quiet” in Sana’a, bar the occasional sound of jets. “Roads were closed in the last three days, but now they’re reopened … Prices are high, the petrol is $1 per litre.” | Mustafa said things were “totally quiet” in Sana’a, bar the occasional sound of jets. “Roads were closed in the last three days, but now they’re reopened … Prices are high, the petrol is $1 per litre.” |
| At least 25 airstrikes were reported overnight but the UN said its aid flights had managed to land at the capital’s airport. | At least 25 airstrikes were reported overnight but the UN said its aid flights had managed to land at the capital’s airport. |
| Saleh’s exiled son, Ahmed Ali Saleh, was quoted by a Saudi news network as saying he was seeking revenge. “I will lead the battle until the last Houthi is thrown out of Yemen … the blood of my father will be hell ringing in the ears of Iran,” he said. | Saleh’s exiled son, Ahmed Ali Saleh, was quoted by a Saudi news network as saying he was seeking revenge. “I will lead the battle until the last Houthi is thrown out of Yemen … the blood of my father will be hell ringing in the ears of Iran,” he said. |
| Ahmad Algohbary, a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a, said the Houthis now had a strong hand in the capital because Saleh’s forces had either surrendered or were too afraid to resist. | Ahmad Algohbary, a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a, said the Houthis now had a strong hand in the capital because Saleh’s forces had either surrendered or were too afraid to resist. |
| “It was life as usual today, but three days ago it was like hell. Nobody could get out, I couldn’t go out to get water, it was gunfire everywhere, mortar shell was close to our home, my mum was crying,” he said. | “It was life as usual today, but three days ago it was like hell. Nobody could get out, I couldn’t go out to get water, it was gunfire everywhere, mortar shell was close to our home, my mum was crying,” he said. |
| “I got out today, I saw people outside, they’re buying. They used to buy half a kilo of things, like half a kilo of tomatoes, and now they’re buying three to four kilos because they’re afraid of the next days.” | “I got out today, I saw people outside, they’re buying. They used to buy half a kilo of things, like half a kilo of tomatoes, and now they’re buying three to four kilos because they’re afraid of the next days.” |
| Osamah al Faqih, a human rights researcher based in Sana’a, had to leave his house alongside his wife and shelter at a relative’s home when the clashes started on Thursday. | Osamah al Faqih, a human rights researcher based in Sana’a, had to leave his house alongside his wife and shelter at a relative’s home when the clashes started on Thursday. |
| “Since Saleh’s death there’s no clashes but people are still afraid and don’t know what will come next,” he said. “People are buying food items just to prepare for any worst situation. We don’t know what will come next … I’m really concerned about the lives of civilians and the scale of human rights violations against the civilians, violation of humanitarian laws by both sides.” | “Since Saleh’s death there’s no clashes but people are still afraid and don’t know what will come next,” he said. “People are buying food items just to prepare for any worst situation. We don’t know what will come next … I’m really concerned about the lives of civilians and the scale of human rights violations against the civilians, violation of humanitarian laws by both sides.” |