Gone for good?

Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets on Sunday, June 5, to celebrate what they said was the end of the 32-year regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The beleaguered president left Yemen late on Saturday to seek medical treatment in Saudi Arabia for injuries sustained in a rebel rocket attack on his presidential palace. Yemen's opposition vowed to prevent the return of Saleh.

"We will work with all our strength to prevent his return," parliamentary opposition spokesman Mohammed Qahtan said. "We see this as the beginning of the end of this tyrannical and corrupt regime."

The spokesman added that Saleh's sons must be "forced to hand power over to Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi."

For now, Mansour Hadi has taken over as acting president and supreme commander of the armed forces as stipulated by the country's constitution. Mansour met with the US ambassador to Sanaa on Sunday, according to local and regional broadcasters.

Early on Monday, Saleh was said to be recovering in hospital following surgery - although it was unclear whether he would be able to return to Yemen.

Powerful tribe against regime

The rocket attack on Friday killed seven people and threw the Yemeni government into disarray, with injuries sustained by the country's prime minister, two deputy prime ministers and the speakers of both parliamentary houses.

The opposition has been protesting against Saleh's regime since January, with street demonstrations steadily increasing in intensity.

Violence escalated when Saleh refused to sign a power transfer deal brokered by neighboring Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, pitting pro-regime forces against members of the powerful Hashed tribe and stirring fears of a full-scale civil war.

Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of the effort to negotiate the resignation of Saleh and a handover of power to opposition groups.

Throughout his negotiations with the Gulf states, Saleh maintained that he was seeking an "honorable exit."

The Saleh regime has been a key ally for the United States in the fight against the Islamist group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Supporters' hopes frustrated

Last year, Saleh's supporters were pressing for constitutional changes that would allow Saleh to remain in power over successive five-year terms in office - with suspicions that one of his sons was being groomed to succeed him.

However, the opposition movement gathered momentum following successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt that saw national leaders toppled from power.

The death on March 18 of 52 protesters, mostly hit by sniper fire, proved to be a critical moment prompting key figures - including military and tribal leaders - to switch their allegiance away from Saleh in favor of the protesters.

Since January, more than 370 people are believed to have been killed - at least 155 of them in the last 10 days.

Germany has closed its embassy in Sanaa and is withdrawing its three remaining diplomats from Yemen in the face of increasing political unrest in the country. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle urged German citizens to leave the country, if possible.

Author: Holly Fox, Gabriel Borrud (AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Toma Tasovac