Yemen's President, STC Announce New Power-Sharing Government

Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi attends the Arab summit in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, May 31, 2019. (Reuters)
Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi attends the Arab summit in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, May 31, 2019. (Reuters)
TT

Yemen's President, STC Announce New Power-Sharing Government

Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi attends the Arab summit in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, May 31, 2019. (Reuters)
Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi attends the Arab summit in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, May 31, 2019. (Reuters)

The Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen announced on Friday a new power-sharing cabinet that would include Southern Transitional Council (STC) members in the legitimate government.

The government of President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi is based in the southern port of Aden.

Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik was reappointed to head the new cabinet, which includes five ministers from Yemen’s biggest political blocs, including the STC and Islah party, a statement from Hadi’s office said.

Hadi has kept his closest allies in the key ministries of defense, interior, foreign affairs and finances.

The new government followed two weeks of separation of forces and redeployment of troops in the south that would see their return to battlefronts with the Iran-backed Houthi militias in the north and to outside Aden, the heavily disputed port city.

The announcement of the government is part of the Riyadh Agreement that was reached last year.



France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
TT

France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)

Paris declined to comment on Algeria’s “strong condemnation” of the French government’s decision to recognize Morocco’s claim over the Sahara.

The office of the French Foreign Ministry refused to respond to an AFP request for a comment on the Algeria’s stance.

It did say that further comments could impact the trip Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is set to make to France in late September or early October.

The visit has been postponed on numerous occasions over disagreements between the two countries.

France had explicitly expressed its constant and clear support for the autonomy rule proposal over the Sahara during Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne’s visit to Morocco in February, reported AFP.

The position has helped improve ties between Rabat and Paris.

On Thursday, the Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed “great regret and strong denunciation" about the French government's decision to recognize an autonomy plan for the Western Sahara region "within Moroccan sovereignty”.

Algeria was informed of the decision by France in recent days, an Algerian foreign ministry statement added.

The ministry also said Algeria would draw all the consequences from the decision and hold the French government alone completely responsible.