Fear of civil war amid growing tribal power in Yemen
By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa
Cairo (dpa) - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh was defiant as always in an audio message released after an attack on his presidential palace in the capital Sana‘a.
However, his attitude left doubts regarding the official statements denying his injuries. Many noted that Saleh sounded short of breath.
"Although the message was full of his usual cliches, the voice was different," said Shatha al-Harazi, an opposition activist.
"I expected, if he was indeed in good health, that he would appear on television, and the camera would be shooting him from every angle to make sure people know he is fine."
The Yemeni government denied that Saleh had left for Saudi Arabia for medical treatment.
However, the official SABA news agency reported that senior government officials injured in the attack, including the parliamentary speaker and the prime minister, were in the neighbouring kingdom for treatment.
Saleh, who faces growing calls to step down after 32 years in power, was scheduled to address the nation earlier in the day. After his appearance was postponed for several hours, an audio speech was released on Friday night.
The presidential palace was hit by two shells Friday afternoon. Security forces blocked all roads after the attack and there was an increased security presence at the military hospital, witnesses said.
Fighting between government forces and opposition tribesmen has also widened and is expected to grow, after Saleh accused members of his own Hashid tribe of mounting the attack and vowed to go after the
perpetrators.
Followers of Hashid leader Sadiq al-Ahmar, have been fighting security forces for around two weeks. But al-Ahmar‘s office denied any involvement in the incident.
Online activists said they believed the incident was orchestrated by Saleh to make way for future attacks on protesters. The president has refused, three times, to sign a Gulf-brokered power transfer deal.
"Unfortunately, it would be a lie now to say that all protests are peaceful. This can destroy what we worked for more than four months" al-Harazi said, as armed tribesmen fought security forces in both Sana‘a and the southern city of Taiz in support of the protesters.
Many of the demonstrators are sceptical of that support for fear that growing tribal power could take the country to the opposite of what they are are calling for in protests that erupted early January.
Al-Harazi says the revolution aims at limiting tribal power and at setting up a national reconciliation government. Activists fear that, if tribesmen win the battle against Saleh, the security situation could deteriorate and end in a tribal power struggle.
"There is a great probability of such a power struggle, which will impose difficulties on the protesters. But if they continue their peaceful rallies, they will eventually be able to gain their cause," said Abdel-Bari Taher, a Yemeni political analyst.
Fighting also escalated in Taiz, as armed tribesmen and members of the military, who have defected, attacked Saleh‘s security forces and were able to burn several tanks in the city.
This allowed protesters to regain the Hurreya (Freedom) Square, where they were camped for months.
A Taiz-based activist described the developments as "turning the peaceful protests into street fighting."
However, others in Taiz remain hopeful about the future of the peaceful protests.
"Young activists here see these developments as military fighting, fuelled by personal revenge. They still call for peaceful protests," Abdul Rahim, a doctor who has been involved in the protests said in a phone interview.
"Most tribesmen announced they will not seek power after Saleh‘s ouster, and activists also accept their support, but refuse to say they are part of the revolution," he added.
As violence drags on and the death toll rises, neither Saleh nor the opposition parties show any signs of wanting dialogue.
dpa
Published: June 4, 2011
