It has been a truly terrible day in Yemen, with more than 40 people reported dead as a result of attacks on demonstrators by the president's supporters in Sana'a. Although armed conflict is common in Yemen, there has been nothing like this in the capital for many years.
The Egyptian Chronicles...
Blog archive: Yemen
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18th March 2011
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13th March 2011There is growing international concern about attacks on demonstrators by Yemeni security forces and their allies. On Saturday, several people died (the exact number is unclear) during a pre-dawn offensive against the protesters' camp at Sana'a University. Across the country, more...
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12th March 2011It seems that Yemenis will not be electing a new parliament on April 27 after all. March 10 was the official date for calling the elections. Nothing happened then and, according to the Yemen Observer, the reason is that the electoral registers are not ready. This technical problem...
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5th March 2011Back in January I wrote about a demonstration at Sana'a University. It was a fairly small affair involving some 2,500 people (pictures here) but it was also, as far as I am aware, the first demonstration in the Yemeni capital aimed primarily at persuading...
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3rd March 2011There is talk of "initial agreement" in Yemen on a five-point plan put forward by opposition leaders which includes President Salih leaving office nine months from now. Under pressure, Salih has already said he will step down in September 2013 when his current term ends. The nine-month...
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28th February 2011Nobody can govern in Yemen without support from the tribes and on Saturday influential figures from the country's two main tribal groupings – the Hashid and the Bakil – abandoned President Salih. "I announce my resignation from the General People's Congress [the ruling party] in protest at the...
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12th February 2011Lest we forget that Yemen also has a place called Tahrir Square, here's an account from Human Rights Watch about the events there yesterday: Hundreds of men armed with knives, sticks, and assault rifles attacked anti-government protesters in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, as Yemeni security...
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7th February 2011National politics or tribal politics? In Yemen it's often difficult to tell the difference, as illustrated by a violent spat on Saturday involving Hamid al-Ahmar, one of the most outspoken opposition MPs, and Nu'man Duwaid, the governor of Sana'a province. Al-Ahmar is a prominent figure in the...
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4th February 2011Tens of thousands took part in Yemen's "day of rage" yesterday, and it looks like becoming a regular Thursday occurrence. The turnout was probably less than the organisers had been hoping and I doubt that it did much to frighten President Salih. Although he is increasingly unpopular, the opposition...
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3rd February 2011Today has been declared a "day of rage" in Yemen and a demonstration is about to start in Sanaa as I write. This follows a series of protests in the capital last month (here and here) in which several thousands took part. The organisers are hoping for a much bigger turnout today – but...
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23rd January 2011There were more anti-government protests in Algeria and Yemen yesterday. In Yemen, about 2,500 students and opposition activists demonstrated at Sana'a University, calling for President Salih to go. Although recent demonstrations have increasingly focused on Salih's...
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21st January 2011The Tunisia effect continues with a Reuters headline, "Protests erupt in Yemen", reporting that thousands took to the streets in the central city of Ta'izz yesterday. This followed two nights of rioting by secessionist supporters in the southern city of Aden on Tuesday and...
