Revolution in Yemen: 'We are not finished yet'
By Hakim Almasmari and Rose-Anne Clermont, Special for USA TODAY
SANAA, Yemen - Salman Abdul Salam has lived on University Square in Sanaa
for more than a year in protest. He hasn't had a job since graduating from
college two years ago. His clothes are worn, and he says he's too poor to
marry his girlfriend.
A week before the Yemeni presidential vote in February, women in Sanaa hold
up ink-stained thumbs to show their support for the election. In many
countries, voters' thumbs are inked when they cast their ballots.
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But the departure of longtime dictator
<
http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Ali+Abdullah+Saleh> Ali Abdullah
Saleh has him feeling determined.
"We are not finished yet," said Salam, 25. "This revolution will continue
until Saleh is tried and Yemen is passed over to civilian hands."
Saleh stepped down in February after months of protests by millions of
Yemenis who rose up against 33 years of dictatorial rule that saw the
country's economy deteriorate and al-Qaeda's presence expand.
Saleh's family and cronies remain in key government ministries and military
posts and continue to run the country for their own benefit, critics say.
Towns in the south are a battlefield between al-Qaeda fighters and the army.
"It's a major crisis in Yemen," said Mohammed Abulahoum, the president of
the opposition Justice and Building Party. "The country is facing numerous
challenges, including terrorism and poverty. It will take time for this
government to stand on its feet."
That may be difficult given that Saleh remains in Yemen and continues to
influence its direction, Yemen analysts say. Saleh threatened to withdraw
members of his party, the General People's Congress Party (GPC), which he
still leads, from the governing coalition. This would have toppled the
recently installed government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, in which
Saleh loyalists head half of the ministries.
"Saleh has not absented himself from the political process, and that is a
potential spoiler for the reform process," said Leonie Northedge, who
specializes in Yemen at the London-based think tank
<
http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Chatham+House> Chatham House.
Hadi was the only candidate on the presidential ballot in February after
Saleh resigned under pressure from the
<
http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Places,+Geography/Countries/United
+States> United States and sheiks in neighboring nations. A former army
commander and ally of Saleh, he has made attempts to rid the government of
Saleh backers. He fired key figures in the regime and some military leaders.
The country continues to be divided between insurrections in the north and
south and infiltration by al-Qaeda insurgents. Hundreds have died in clashes
in the south in the past month.
Though it has relatively low oil reserves, Yemen sits alongside a choke
point of oil shipping where the
<
http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Red+Sea> Red Sea enters the
<
http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Places,+Geography/Bodies+of+water/
Gulf+of+Aden> Gulf of Aden. The West is concerned that the route could be
shut off if terrorists continue to make gains in Yemen.
"It's not like the president controls the country and he is allowing
(al-Qaeda) to do this," said Paul Salem, director and senior associate at
the Carnegie Endowment's Middle East Center in Beirut. "The state does not
control parts of the country, and al-Qaeda has taken that part of the
<
http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Arabian+Peninsula> Arabian
Peninsula as a foothold."
The problem that is most widespread in Yemen is its poor economy, which
contracted by 17% in the past year, according to the
<
http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Ministry+of+Labor> Ministry of
Labor. Unemployment is as high as 40% in some regions, 70% for young people.
Almost half of Yemen's 25 million people are unable to find enough to eat
daily, according to the World Food Program.
"My three sons lost their jobs last year and are forced to take loans from
people," said Amira al-Subaihi, 68. "We now live in a small one-room
apartment. We are lucky if we sleep without feeling hungry."
Many Yemenis seethe over the deal that gave Saleh immunity and allows him to
influence their lives. Anti-Saleh protesters were kidnapped, beaten and
tortured during the <
http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Arab+Spring>
Arab Spring uprising that led to Saleh's ouster and left 2,000 people dead,
according to the Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights. Those who took part in the
uprising say they feel betrayed and are ready to rise up again.
"We protested against oppression and the killing of innocent people," said
Sabreen al-Malahi, 27, an activist in Baitha province. "Saleh was behind the
killing of (thousands) of activists last year and will not be forgiven."
Some Yemen analysts say the nation may take advantage of the chance brokered
by the international community to move forward. The United States has urged
Hadi to seek a cease-fire with warring factions and address the grievances
of the Yemeni people while continuing the fight against al-Qaeda.
"In many senses, (the revolution) has been successful," Northedge said.
"Even if the election wasn't perhaps ideal or the election people wanted to
see, it has nevertheless given a political opening and space for reforms to
be able to set in motion, and we have seen some of that taking place."
Salam and other protesters say they'll remain in their tent cities until
Saleh, his family and his cronies are gone. "Yemenis will prevail because
people are insistent," Salam said. "We are willing to continue protesting
daily for years to come until a real democracy is built."
Contributing: Louise Osborne in Berlin
*
<
http://i.usatoday.net/news/_photos/2012/05/02/Revolution-in-Yemen-We-are-no
t-finished-yet-3L1DLJNE-x-large.jpg> A week before the Yemeni presidential
vote in February, women in Sanaa hold up ink-stained thumbs to show their
support for the election. In many countries, voters' thumbs are inked when
they cast their ballots.
By Mohammed Huwais, AFP/Getty Images
A week before the Yemeni presidential vote in February, women in Sanaa hold
up ink-stained thumbs to show their support for the election. In many
countries, voters' thumbs are inked when they cast their ballots.
Enlarge
By Mohammed Huwais, AFP/Getty Images
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Received on Thu May 03 2012 - 18:16:51 EDT
