Friday, February 25, 2011

Yemen: President Saleh says he wants to protect the protesters

During the day, the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced he had ordered his security forces to "protect the demonstrators." The Head of State "gave instructions to the security services to prevent any clashes and prevent direct confrontation between protesters and pro anti-government", according to a statement released by the official news agency Saba.

He asked "to protect the rights of citizens to assemble peacefully." Mr. Saleh said Wednesday that he "would not run for another term" after the expiry of his in 2013. In Aden, the main southern city, where twelve people were killed in the repression of protest, the authorities decided not to use live ammunition to disperse the demonstrators, according to a local official.

Repression of popular protest was at least sixteen deaths since February 16. On Thursday, a bomb exploded during a demonstration in the secessionist southern region, killing one and injuring two. The explosion took place in the city of Laoudar, in Abyan province, where separatists are numerous.

The same day, an unemployed 27 year old who had set himself on fire on February 20 in southern Afghanistan died Thursday at a hospital in Aden. Two demonstrators were also killed in Sanaa in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday's attack at their sit-in by government supporters. Thousands of protesters still camped outside the University of the capital to demand the departure of the president.

No comments:

Post a Comment