If foreign and Saudi officials could confidently announced a few days ago that they had high hopes for a peaceful resolution of Yemen’s worst political crisis in decades, the events which shook the country yesterday put an end to that.
On Sunday 18th 2011, residents in the capital, Sana’a, lived through their worst night of violence yet. But Sana’a was not the only Yemeni city to be bleeding yesterday. In Taiz and Aden residents were reporting increasing violence as troops loyal to the government were opening fire onto protesters.
After months of relative calm, with all tribal elements and dissident troops more or less respectful of the Saudi brokered June’s ceasefire, politicians were slowly advancing towards a political resolution by negotiating with president Saleh a power transfer. Since the first blood has been drawn all hopes are now shattered, leaving only the specter of war to hover over Yemen.
The National Yemeni Council for the Revolution issued a statement last night through its Military body Council, calling for the immediate ouster of the regime and urging Yemeni soldiers to defect.
Sanaa
As protesters were peacefully marching through Sana’a on Sunday afternoon, as part of the National Yemeni Council for the Revolution’s escalation plan, witnesses claimed that Central Security men suddenly barred the road, opening fire at random, directly onto the crowd. Water cannons soon joined in, forcing the protesters to retreat towards the University ground.
At “Change Square” which for the past 8 months had been the stronghold of the popular uprising, hell broke loose when the Republican Guards began their shelling campaign. As live bullets were raining down on the civilians, people started to fall, injured or worse. The nearby mosque which was since March turned into a makeshift hospital was soon unable to cope with the flow of injured passing through its doors.
Doctor Abdullah, told the Yemen Post that he had never witnessed such violence “They are not even using normal bullets, protesters are being shot at with RPGs, 50” caliber gunshots and anti-aircraft guns….the regime wants to kill us all”. Close to tears and with utter incomprehension painted across his face, the doctor turned back to his patients, asking God to give him the strength to carry on.
Defected General Ali Mohsen soon sent a division to the Kentucky roundabout, near the University as to help free protesters from the Republican Guards’ wrath. With snipers on rooftops and the deafening sounds of rockets, the battle for the “Square” had started. Eventually and after many hours of street to street battles, Mohsen was able to secure the area, forcing back the government troops.
Although the clashes abetted somewhat in the early hours of the morning, renewed clashes were soon enough taking place near al-Zubeyri Street this morning. According to residents, men belonging to the Republican Guards and the Central Security were preventing the injured from reaching the hospital.
Random shelling were heard across town amid rumors that General Mohsen’s base had been bombed from a plane. The allegation could not be verified independently.
Taiz and Aden
Taiz, the second largest city of Yemen and flashpoint of the revolution, organized almost immediately a march in protest of the government crackdown against Sana’a. There too, protesters were met by a barrage of bullets and water cannons. Several doctors claimed that the government was using nerves gas canisters against the crowds.
Today, warplanes reportedly bombed the city, aiming at “Liberty Square”, the main ground of the protests.
In Aden, residents told the press that they had been completely cut off from electricity, leaving them to bare the soaring temperatures. Several gunshots and reported clashes took place as well today, as marches were being organized to denounce the Saleh regime.
Road Ahead
As the government continues to deny any implication into the deaths of some 50 people across Yemen, accusing the Opposition of staging the dead and the injured by using “actors”, news came through that a U.N. envoy and the Head of the GCC were on their way to the capital to hold emergency talks with vice-president Hadi.
Al- Ganadi, the government’s main spokesman was seen joking today on TV, denying bluntly that government troops were using deadly weapons.
Foreign Minister al-Qirby also stated that there w nos real proof of a violent crackdown, accusing al-Qaeda operatives of plotting against the Saleh government to discredit it.
General Saleh denied the use of live ammunitions, telling the press that he had only authorized the use of water cannons and tear gas. He added that it was the protesters who started to attack each other. “What happened today, we used tear gas only and water cannon only. And the shooting is between local citizens of the area, the first armored brigade who occupy Sana University and some of the people who were inside the demonstration. They were all shooting at each other,” General Saleh said in a telephone interview.
The Foreign Minister insisted that the Yemeni government was still working on the implementation of political and social reforms, in keeping with its promises.
Al-Zayani who heads the Gulf Cooperation Council is said to want to extract a signature from vice-president Hadi on the revised GCC proposal in order to avoid Yemen to sink deeper into chaos.
However, even if president Saleh agreed on Monday to give Hadi the necessary authority to sign and enact the power transfer, the Opposition has yet to agree to it.
And since some of its members came out today declaring that no immunity could ever be given since too many lives had been lost, the road might definitely be closed.