Sunday, May 22, 2011
On May 22, 1990, the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) merge and the unified Republic of Yemen is officially proclaimed. North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and after the British withdrew in 1967, South Yemen was formed. After the southern government adopts a Marxist orientation, a massive exodus of Yemenis from the south to the north contributes to strained relations between the two regions. In the northwest, multiple rounds of fighting between the government and Houthi rebels—a group seeking the return to traditional Zaydi Islam—have flared up since 2004.
On Saturday, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen’s first and so far only president said he would sign the U.S.-backed Gulf Cooperation Council plan for him to leave power within a month. Saleh has been ruling since 1978, 12 years before the official unification. The deal comes after several months of anti-government protests and bloody crackdowns by Saleh’s forces. Yemeni protesters—inspired by demonstrations that recently toppled autocratic governments in Tunisia and Egypt—have expressed discontent with the country’s high unemployment, poor economic conditions, corruption, and human rights abuses. Saleh has been clinging to power since February when he made his first concession to protesters, promising not to run for re-election in 2013. Since then, he’s faced increasing pressure from protesters, Gulf Council countries, and the West for him to resign.
