SANAA, Yemen — Thousands of Yemenis rallied in support of rival political groups Friday and separatist groups in the south pressed for secession following the government’s resignation in response to a siege by Shiite rebels.
The decision Thursday by President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and his cabinet to step down produced more uncertainty over the future of this desperately poor and divided nation, which hosts a powerful al-Qaida affiliate.
Additional Images
It was not immediately clear whether the rebel Houthis, members of the Zaydi sect of Shiite Islam, now consider themselves Yemen’s rulers. The rebels besieged the residences of the president and other government officials in this majority Sunni Muslim country this week. The assault was decried as a coup by neighboring Sunni Arab states, which see the insurgents as a client of Iran.
The state-run SABA news agency reported that parliament would convene Sunday to discuss the resignations.
“What we’re feeling is fear and insecurity,” said Hussam al-Qahtani, 22, a university student who lives in the capital, Sanaa. He has stopped leaving the house at night over fear of being caught in the clashes between Houthi fighters and government forces, which have left more than a dozen people dead in the past week.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.