Demonstrations resume in the south

By Nasser Arrabyee/25/05/2009

A group of citizens organized Monday a demonstration in the southern town of Al Habileen to demand release of detainees and solutions for their problems promised by a presidential committee 10 days ago.


" A number of citizens marched in the streets of Habileen today demanding for fair solutions for their issues and releasing detainees from the prisons of Al Dhale'e and Aden and also treatments of the injured and transferring the serious cases to outside Yemen for better treatment, " said Saleh Sa'ad, member of local council of Al Habileen.

He said that security forces kept silent although some demonstrators were carrying flags of the south and pictures of the exiled former President Ali Salem Al Beidh who called for independence last week from Germany. Some demonstrators were also carrying guns, he said.

This demonstration came one day after President Ali Abdullah Saleh met with representatives from Al Habileen, Radfan and Al Dhale'e in the presidential palace in Sana'a.

"I'm sure you will remain faithful to September and October revolutions," Saleh told local council members and tribal sheikhs from those districts, the stronghold of what's called the south movement.

Saleh referred to the southern revolution against the British colony on October 14th, 1963, and to the northern revolution against the royal rule in September 26th, 1962.

Saleh said that about 10,000 young men from those areas joined the army during the past six months promising to open camps for more young men of them to protect the unity.

"And if there are mistakes and problems, you are the most capable to solve them. We treated the problem of the retirees with 52 billion YR, (260 $US million) and about 10,000 young men joined the army and security institutions during the past six months," Saleh told them.



"Now we'll open military camps for new recruitments, so you will be the guards of unity and we will support you, we will leave the tanks and missiles and let the guards of unity defend their interests."







Meanwhile, a senior official in the ruling party called President Saleh to take brave decisions for creating a national partnership in power, wealth and decision-making.

Abdul Salam Al Ansi, member of Saleh's advisory council, Shura, urged Saleh to get rid of all corrupts around him even if they are the closet to him, if he wants to preserve unity.


"I'm still believing that 90 % of the solution of the most difficult problems is at hands of the President Saleh," Al Ansi said in statements published Monday.