- Title: YEMEN-SALEH/RALLY Yemeni protesters rally in support of ex-president
- Date: 7th November 2014
- Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (NOVEMBER 7, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS PROTESTERS IN SQUARE HOLDING PORTRAITS OF EX PRESIDENT ALI ABDULLAH SALEH PROTESTERS HOLDING YEMENI FLAG LARGE PORTRAIT OF SALEH AND BANNER NEXT TO IT READING (English and Arabic): "International sanctions undermine the political settlement." PROTESTER KISSING PORTRAIT OF SALEH PROTESTERS CHANTING PRO-SALEH SLOGANS PROTESTE
- Embargoed: 22nd November 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Yemen
- Country: Yemen
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVACTRGAZGWJXIA9QHE0YZISM1NP
- Story Text: Supporters of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh held a mass rally in capital Sanaa on Friday (November 7) protesting against international pressure on him.
Protesters marched through central Sanaa holding Saleh's portraits and banners with slogans demanding the halt of foreign interference in Yemen.
"International sanctions undermine the political settlement," read one banner written both in English and Arabic.
Last week, Washington requested the U.N. Security Council impose an asset freeze and global travel ban on Saleh and two leaders of the Shi'ite Muslim Houthi group which controls Sanaa, on the grounds that they threatened the peace and stability of Yemen and obstructed the political process.
Saleh has denied seeking to destabilise Yemen and his party warned that any sanctions on the former president or "even waving such a threat would have negative consequences on the political process".
"Ali Abdullah Saleh is the people and the people are Ali Abdullah Saleh. Nobody will leave from here and we will fight with Ali Abdullah Saleh until the last drop of our blood," said Saleh's supporter Ali al-Hamati at the rally.
An official source at Saleh's General People's Congress (GPC) party said on Wednesday (November 5) that the U.S. ambassador to Yemen had delivered a message through a mediator for Saleh to leave the country by 5 o'clock (1400 GMT) on Friday or face international sanctions.
On Thursday (November 6) the United States denied delivering any threats to Saleh over what Washington suspects is his role in destabilising Yemen.
"The GPC statements about threats to Saleh from the U.S. are untrue," the State Department said in a statement emailed to Reuters. "There have been no meetings between the ambassador and GPC officials at which any such statements have been made."
The GPC official said Washington had delivered the ultimatum ahead of sanctions that the U.N Security Council is expected to impose on Saleh in line with requests by Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the U.S. State Department.
Saleh stepped down in 2012 under a U.S.-backed Gulf power transfer deal that followed months of pro-democracy protests against his 33 years in office.
The accord gave him immunity against legal action over any of his decisions prior to his resignation.
But the United States says the former president has continued to undermine efforts to extract the country from long-running political turmoil.
Saleh's party called on Yemenis to "go out on Friday in massive marches to express through peaceful, civilised and responsible ways their condemnation and rejection of all forms of guardianship and intervention in internal Yemeni affairs".
"We took to the streets today being faithful to our leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, and to warn all the countries to stop interfering into our internal affairs. Otherwise we will sit in front of their embassies until they get out of Yemen and all Arab countries," said Saleh supporter Shaif Al-Jamal at the rally in Sanaa.
The U.S. sanctions request stated that since Saleh stepped down, he "reportedly become one of the primary supporters of the Houthi rebellion" and that he was behind attempts to cause chaos throughout Yemen.
The Houthi rebels took over the capital, Sanaa, in September, with their forces then fanning out into central and western Yemen, bringing fresh tumult to a country that borders Saudi Arabia -- the world's biggest oil exporter.
Several Western diplomats say the United Nations is expected to put the U.S.-requested curbs into force on Friday.
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