- Title: SAUDI ARABIA-GCC MEETING/YEMEN Gulf Arab ministers condemn Houthi "coup" in Yemen
- Date: 21st January 2015
- Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (JANUARY 21, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF BAHRAIN'S FOREIGN MINISTER, SHEIKH KHALED BIN AHMED AL-KHALIFA, ARRIVING TO RIYADH AIR BASE QATARI AIRCRAFT ARRIVING AT RIYADH AIR BASE AIR SERVICE DIRECTING AEROPLANE QATARI FOREIGN MINISTER, KHALED AL-ATTIYA, ARRIVING AT RIYADH AIR BASE VARIOUS OF OMANI AIRCRAFT ARRIVING OMANI FOREIGN MINISTER, YOUSEF BIN ALAWI, WALKING DOWN TO RIYADH AIR BASE UNITED ARAB OF EMIRATES (UAE) AIRCRAFT ARRIVING UAE'S FOREIGN MINISTER, SHEIKH ABDULLAH BIN ZAYED AL-NAHYAN, ARRIVING TO RIYADH AIR BASE KUWAITI AIRCRAFT ARRIVING VARIOUS OF KUWAIT'S FOREIGN MINISTER, SABAH AL-KHALID AL-SABAH, WALKING DOWN TO RIYADH AIR BASE REPORTERS VARIOUS OF OMANI FOREIGN MINISTER, YOUSEF BIN ALAWI, AND SAUDI DEPUTY FM, PRINCE ABDULAZIZ BIN ABDULLAH, SEATED VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS SEATED WIDE OF MEETING AL-ATTIYA SEATED AL-SABAH SEATED REPORTERS LEAVING MEETING HALL
- Embargoed: 5th February 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Saudi Arabia
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVABZ1IIAKQNC4KMII15AHLOJQ9X
- Story Text: Gulf Arab foreign ministers on Wednesday (January 21) condemned what they called a "coup d'etat" by Yemen's Houthi movement after the Shi'ite Muslim group seized the presidential palace and defeated its guards in two days of battle.
Speaking at an emergency meeting in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) demanded the Houthis withdraw from the palace and the private home of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, free an aide to Hadi kidnapped by the group, normalise the security situation in Sanaa and return government institutions to state control.
Hadi was expected to yield to demands on Wednesday for constitutional change and power sharing with Houthi rebels.
The Houthis, friendly to Iran, swept into the capital four months ago and have emerged as the dominant force in the country. For now at least they appear to have decided to stop short of overthrowing Hadi, possibly preferring to exert control over a weakened leader rather than take on the burden of power.
The emergence of the Houthis as Yemen's de facto top power in September has scrambled alliances across Yemen's political spectrum, raising fears of deeper instability in a country that shares a border with top oil exporter Saudi Arabia and has one of al Qaeda's most active branches.
Yemen, an impoverished nation of 25 million, has been plagued by Islamist insurgency, separatist conflict, sectarian strife and economic crisis for years.
An "Arab Spring" popular uprising in 2011 led to the downfall of long-ruling President Ali Abdullah Saleh, bringing more chaos.
The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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