Disgruntled protesters took their anger before President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi this Thursday, demanding that justice be served in relation to the murder of Khaled Mohammed al-Khatib and Hassan Jaafar Aman .
The young men who are originally from the southern city of Aden came to the capital last week to collect their visa for Germany ahead of a much anticipated trip. Caught in the middle of a tribal wedding procession, the two young men were shot without any warning of provocation as tribesmen felt they were trespassing on their celebrative drive by.
Linked to well-known and powerful tribal figures, the authorities have so far failed to indict them, fearing tribal reprisals; instead the families of the victims were encouraged to accept blood money instead of taking the matter to court.
Although the two murders created an uproar of anger throughout Yemen with both politicians and rights activists calling for an end to such senseless lawless violence, President Hadi could not bring himself to challenge Yemen tribes head on, underscoring the state's lack of authorities over tribal entities and the existence of a state within the state.
Protesters warned that if the state was not prepared to hand out justice then they would have to return to the streets and take matters in their own hands. Several activists called for an end to Yemen tribal tradition, saying that the tribes of Yemen had no place in a civil state. All called for the state to cancel tribal lords privileges and powers in the country, arguing they were a hindrance to democratic progress.