Emergency state against southern separatists

By Nasser Arrabyee/27/02/2010

An emergency state was imposed on a Yemeni southern province where separatists wanted to stage anti-unity demonstrations, official sources said Saturday.

"The city of Al Dhale'e was surrounded from all directions and all entrances were closed since very early morning to prevent any armed outlaws from entering the city to undermine the security," said the director of security in Al Dhale'e, Ghazi Al Ahwal.

Earlier the governor of Al Dhale'e, Ali Kasem Taleb, said he had a meeting with the security officials and decided to prevent any citizen from walking around with guns.

Local sources said that elements from the separatist southern movement were planning to stage demonstration in Al Dhale'e today Saturday to deliver an anti-unity message to the international and Gulf donors who meet on the same day in the Saudi capital Riyadh for helping Yemen maintain its unity, security and stability.

The separatists call themselves peaceful movement for returning the independent state of the south, which united with the north in 1990. Some of these separatist, however, take to the street with their guns, block roads, set fire to shops belonging to northerners, and sometimes kill northerners only because they are northerners.

"This is an armed movement and not peaceful movement," said the security director in Al Dhale'e, Ghazi Al Ahwal.

In Mukalla far east of the country, owners of the shops and commercial centres closed since early morning in fear of riot acts by disgruntled demonstrators who wanted also demonstrate in coincidence with the Riyadh conference which is reviewing the security and economic challenges facing Yemen.