Saleh’s arrival was a dramatic gamble by a leader skilled at brinkmanship. But it was unclear whether he could save his presidency or calm the escalating factional fighting gripping his impoverished country. He called for negotiations and a cease-fire but offered no hint that he would step down, a demand called for by hundreds of thousands of protesters since January.
“The solution is not in the mouths of rifles and guns, it is in dialogue and stopping bloodshed,” the Defense Ministry quoted Saleh as saying. He was expected to address the nation on Sunday. Saleh reportedly returned to Yemen before dawn after months of recuperating in Saudi Arabia from serious burns suffered during a rocket attack on his compound in June.
His sudden reappearance in the capital, Sanaa, where more than 70 people died in violent clashes this week, most of them anti-Saleh protesters, inflamed passions of those for and against him. Gunfire rattled and fireworks exploded as his supporters poured into the streets waving his pictures and his detractors vowed to force his resignation.
The president did not make his intentions known and it was uncertain if his presence would dim or improve the chances for a transfer of power backed by Saudi Arabia and the United States. “His return does not mean anything to us,” said Khaled Khalani, an anti-government protester, who like many feared the president’s return would spark more fighting. “We want him to leave power. I will not stop protesting until he is gone.”
Beyond Saleh’s presidential palace, Sanaa is a frayed and battered city that speaks to the nation’s tribal complexities and enduring turmoil. Some analysts said Saleh’s reappearance was an effort by a leader—adroit at manipulating tribes and enemies—to strike a political deal and contain the widening fighting that has exploded from months of relatively peaceful protests. But, so far, Saleh has ignored increasing international pressure to resign.
“Saleh has been in power for 33 years and those in his ruling General People’s Congress have their connections and relationships to stay in control,” said Abdul Hamid Jaraid, a political scientist. “So what we will see is a political deal between the GPC and the opposition to allow ruling party members a place in the political future. The protesters, of course, will not be happy about this.”
(Los Angeles Times)
