Yemen: Suicide bomber kills 45 in Abyan

Yemen's government has blamed al-Qa'ida for a suicide bombing that has claimed at least 45 lives in the southern province of Abyan. Dozens more people were injured in the attack on a funeral in the city of Jaar.

It is thought that the bomber detonated an explosive belt during the service held by a tribal militia that supported the army during recent fighting.

In a statemtn, local governor Jamal al-Aqal said that an investigation had been opened into the "criminal and cowardly" attack on the service. According to an unnamed witness: "Bodies were flying in all directions because the explosion was so powerful."

Earlier this year, Yemen's army carried out a major offensive against Islamist militants in Abyan, taking control of the region in June with the help of civilian militias comprised of local tribesmen.

The latest attack, however, has raised fears that Ansar al-Sharia remains active in the area. Groups belonging to the al-Qa'ida have taken advantage of the security vacuum in the country, which began during a year of protests against the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Upon taking power the new President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi pledged his forces would crush the militants, but it seems the fight is ongoing.

The US has used its drones in the region to support the military campaign. According to Yemeni officials, just days ago, five alleged al-Qa'ida militants were killed in a suspected US drone strike. The drone reportedly targeted their vehicle in Hadramawt.

Sources: Agence France-Presse, BBC News, Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Yemeni voters go to the polls to choose new leader

Today is a momentous day as Yemeni voters go to the polls to elect a new president to replace former leader Ali Abdullah Saleh. Voters are expected to rubber-stamp Vice President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, the only candidate in the poll.

Tight security measures were set in place before crowds took to the polling stations this morning, in the capital city of Sana'a. The voting comes a year after ongoing anti-government demonstrations. New outbreaks of violence were recorded in the south on Monday 20th February ahead of the voting. One person is said to have been killed.

According to the BBC, the situation in Sana'a is relatively peaceful. The separatist Southern Movement and the northern Shi'a rebels, however, have called on Yemenis to boycott the poll.

It would seem that most of the anti-government demonstrators – who took part in the protests that began in January 2012 – are backing Hadi, who is from the south and has already called for dialogue with the local rebels.

Hadi is the only candidate, but the majority of the country seems enthusiastic about the prospect of him taking over from Saleh, who in theory is no longer the country's leader, but who still exerts substantial influence over the military and his former personnel.

Yemen is in a bad way, the country's economy is depleted, insecurity is rife and the al-Qa'ida militants have recently taken control of two districts. The country's new president will face a number of problems before Yemen regains stability.

Sources: BBC News, AFP, Bloomberg

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Yemen: Both Saleh and the opposition reject GCC's offer

Both Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the opposition have rejected the six-nation Gulf Co-operation Council's (GCC) initiative for a peaceful transition of power. Saleh has outright refused to step-down early, and the protesters rebuffed any suggestion of Saleh being granted immunity from prosecution.

The political turmoil in Yemen has been ongoing for almost two months. It is estimated that as many as 120 people have been killed in the clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters.

On Sunday 10th April, the GCC called on Saleh to resign as part of an agreement with the opposition. Saleh rejected the proposal, and the offer of mediation, saying he would not step-down before 2013.

The GCC had invited both the opposition leaders and the long term Yemeni president to Saudi Arabia for talks. It also offered Saleh and his family protection from prosecution for abuses of power, an offer which outraged the protesters who had specifically demanded that Saleh and his kin be put on trial.

According to several sources, Saleh despatched a letter to the GCC saying he could no accept the offer, but praised the organisation for its attempt to mediate the situation. His supporters, however, have rebuked the GCC calling its attempt to intervene a "flagrant interference in Yemen's internal issues."

For their part, the protesters took to the streets in their thousands in Sana'a, Taiz, Aden and other major cities.

Sources: Reuters, CNTV, Aljazeera.net, The Guardian

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.