By Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
SANA’A, Yemen — Security forces under the control of Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Yemeni president, have opened fire on protesters in Sana’a. Estimates put the devastation at 26 dead and hundreds injured.
Protesters, numbering in the tens of thousands, had taken to the streets of the capital to call for an end to Saleh’s 33-year rule. Government snipers fired upon protesters from the rooftops, and security force officers and armed civilians shot protesters with anti-aircraft guns and automatic weapons as they left Change Square, the place many protesters have camped since they begin protesting for a regime change in February. Witnesses also reported the usage of water cannons and tear gas.
Earlier in the day, government troops opened fire into the Al-Hasaba district of Sana’a, home to important opposition leadership. The opposition did not return fire, noting that they did not want to give Saleh any excuse to not sign a deal to transfer power.
Sunday’s violent hostilities come as Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, Yemen’s vice president, will, within a week, sign a Gulf Arab initiative to arrange for a transfer of power. A high-level Saudi official, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed this to reporters saying “the vice president will sign the Gulf Initiative in the name of the president.”
Last week news broke that Saleh had authorized Hadi to negotiate a power transfer with the opposition. Saleh left Yemen three months ago for Saudi Arabia to recover from a June 3 attack against his compound.
Some members of the opposition believe that Saleh’s authorization of the power transfer negotiations to Hadi is just the latest in a series of delays to prevent any real change. The uneasiness has resulted in a new swell of protests in recent days. These larger protests have been met with greater numbers of security forces and armed regime members.
Saleh has been facing protests over charges of nepotism and corruption since January. The rejuvenated protests are merely a continuation.
On Saturday, thousands of protesters stormed the main university in Sana’a, preventing the first day of school. At least six students were injured in the storming of the university.
Many Yemeni schools have served as focal points for the opposition. At least 20 schools were kept closed on Saturday because many of them had served as outposts by government defectors.
“Schools are for learning, not to serve as barracks,” said Fatma Mutahar, principal of Ayesha school and an official with the Education Ministry. Mutahar has attempted to negotiate with the defectors to leave her school, but so far those negotiations have failed.
More than 60 schools in the southern city of Aden are serving as shelters for displaced peoples left homeless as a result of fighting between the opposition and government troops.
Despite government pressures the opposition plans to continue. It has more protests planned for the following days and weeks.
Demonstrations on Sunday also took place in many other Yemeni cities including Taiz, Saada, and Damar.
For more information, please see:
Al Jazeera — Many protesters shot dead in Yemen — 18 Sept. 2011
The Guardian — Yemeni protesters ‘fired on by troops’ — 18 Sept. 2011
NPR — Yemeni Forces Open Fire on Protesters — 18 Sept. 2011
USA Today — Yemeni forces open fire on protesters, 12 killed — 18 Sept. 2011
