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Thousands Yemenis rally across country in support of Houthis

Ansarullah supporters rally in Yemen's capital, Sana'a, Jan. 23, 2015. (AFP photo)

Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Yemen to support Shia Ansarullah revolutionaries of Houthi movement.

On Friday, the Yemenis attended massive rallies all over the country to express their support for the Shia fighters, chanting "death to America” and “death to Israel” slogans.

Another rally

Meanwhile, the southern Yemen separatists launched rallies in the city of Aden, calling for independence from the central government in the country’s capital, Sana’a.

According to reports, the separatists raised the flag of Southern Yemen over the airport and some of the government buildings in Aden.

Southern Yemen was formerly an independent country which merged with the northern Yemen Republic to form present-day Yemen in 1990.

Latest developments

The demonstration came a day after the Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the cabinet of Prime Minister Khaled Bahah resigned over pressure from Ansarullah revolutionaries.

Reports say the Yemeni parliament rejected Hadi’s resignation, calling for an emergency session.

The parliament’s move greatly infuriated Ansarullah supporters who surrounded the parliament in Sana’a in an attempt to pressure the legislative body to reconsider its decision.

Some representatives of Ansarullah revolutionaries said the Shia group welcomes the resignations of the Yemeni president and cabinet and may form a "salvation council" with members from different political groups from the country’s north and south.

Source of conflict

Yemen has been the scene of tensions after the Shia fighters arrested Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Hadi’s chief of staff, at a checkpoint in the western district of Hada on January 17.

The impoverished Arab country is currently grappling with a severe political crisis between the central government and Ansarullah fighters.

In September 2014, Ansarullah revolutionary fighters gained control of Sana’a following a four-day battle with army forces loyal to General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, the half-brother of the country’s former dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

In the same month, Ansarullah fighters and the Yemeni government inked the UN-backed ceasefire deal that called for the withdrawal of the revolutionaries from the capital once a neutral prime minister was picked. The deal has failed to deliver any practical results so far.

FNR/SS


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