President forced to hide in his own country

Yemen on the brink of civil war as President Hadi calls for UN intervention 

UN to hold crisis meetings on Yemen

YEMEN’S President has pleaded for emergency help from the United Nations and neighbouring countries as rebels advance on the town he is holed up in.

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has been hiding out in the southern city of Aden since September when he was forced to flee the capital Sanaa by Shi’ite militia, known as Houthis, who took control of the city and several northern provinces.
Now, with the rebel groups in control of large parts of the country including critical airports and advancing south, President Hadi has asked the United Nations to put a no fly-zone in place so Houthis can’t use the airports they control.

Flights have been cancelled at Aden international airport while President Hadi pleads the UN to enforce a no-fly zone to halt the advance of rebel groups. Picture: AP Photo/Hamza Hendawi. Source: AP

‘TIME IS NOT ON OUR SIDE’
He also wants the six nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain — to intervene.
Yemen’s foreign minister Riad Yassin said “time is not on our side” although he didn’t elaborate on what military intervention might mean.
The UN request comes after months of bloodshed in the country which the UN has warned is on the brink of civil war.
On the weekend warplanes struck the palace where President Hadi is hiding and rebels seized an airport and military base in Taez, a strategic city just 180 kilometres north of Aden.
Other Gulf states may soon become involved after referring to the Houthi takeover as a “terrorist” act earlier this year.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal warned “if the Houthi coup does not end peacefully, we will take the necessary measures for this crisis to protect the region.”
It comes just days before a regional summit in Egypt but it’s not known whether President Hadi will be able to attend.

Militiamen loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi ride in Aden, where the President is holed up after being forced to flee the capital. Picture: AP Photo/Yassir Hassan, File. Source: AP

Houthis guard a street leading to the Presidential palace in Sanaam, which is under rebel control. Picture: AP Photo/Hani Mohammed, File. Source: AP

HOUTHIS CLAIM HADI A ‘PUPPET’
On Sunday, rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said his forces will keep advancing south and called the President a “puppet” of international powers. President Hadi has accused the Houthis of being under the control of Shi’ite Iran, which they deny.
The Houthis include around one third of Yemen’s population from the Shi’ite Zaydi sect. Their slogan is “God is great, death to America, death to Israel, damnation to the Jews and victory for Islam” AP reports.
After fighting for years against the previous President Ali Abdullah Saleh they have now joined forces with him and control nine out of Yemen’s 21 provinces.
However the international community still views President Hadi as a legitimate leader and the UN has placed sanctions against Saleh and two of the Houthi leaders.

Children play in Aden which is expecting an assault from the Houthis or rival al-Qaeda militants. Roads are closed in the city and children are being kept home from school. Picture: AP Photo/Hamza Hendawi. Source: AP

Members of a group aligned to President Hadi guard Aden, where the President is hiding out. Picture: AFP/SALEH AL-OBEIDI Source: AFP

BRINK OF WAR
The deep divisions have led the UN to warn the country is on the brink of a protracted civil war between the north and south.
UN envoy Jamal Benomar said without immediate action the country will slide into “further violence and dislocation”.
“(Recent events) seem to be leading Yemen to the edge of a civil war,” he said, warning of a “a Libya-Syria combined scenario”.
The turmoil has also allowed terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State to gain a foothold. Last week, a suicide bombing attack which IS claimed responsibility for killed 142 people in the capital Sanaa, while the UN called an emergency session to deal with the situation.