Yemen
Yemen, 1990 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
In 1990, the two Yemeni states united to form the modern Republic of Yemen, with Ali Abdullah Saleh serving as the first president until his resignation in 2012 in the wake of the Arab Spring. Since 2011, Yemen has been enduring a political crisis, marked by street protests against poverty, unemployment, corruption, and President Saleh's plan to amend Yemen's constitution. By 2015, the country became engulfed in an ongoing civil war with multiple entities vying for governance, including the Presidential Leadership Council of the internationally recognised government and the Houthi movement's Supreme Political Council. This conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis.
Seat of power: Sanaa
Rulers
Ali Abdullah Saleh
President of Yemen, 1990–2012
Ali Abdullah Saleh became Yemen's first directly elected president in the 1999 presidential election, winning 96% of the vote. From 1994 onward, Saleh returned to autocratic rule through rule by decree, and was confirmed by elections in 1999, 2006, and a controversial constitutional referendum in 2001.
Portrait of Ali Abdullah Saleh: European Union, European Parliament, file
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Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi
President of Yemen, 2012–2022
He was chosen as a president for a two-year transitional period on 21 February 2012 by Yemen's political factions, in an election where he was the sole consensus candidate, although the election was boycotted by Houthis in the north and Southern Secessionists in the south of the country. On 22 January 2015, he was forced to resign by the Houthis in the midst of mass protest against his decision to raise the fuel subsidies and due to dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2011 revolution. A month later, Hadi escaped to his hometown of Aden, rescinded his resignation, and denounced the Houthi takeover.
Portrait of Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi: U.S Defense Department, CC BY 2.0, file
Rashad al-Alimi
President of Yemen, 2022 to today
Al-Alimi became Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, a body given the powers of the President of Yemen, on 7 April 2022, through a decree by President Hadi, who irreversibly transferred his powers to the council. Multiple sources in the Yemeni and Saudi governments stated that Saudi Arabia, where Hadi was living, forced him to cede power to al-Alimi.
Portrait of Rashad al-Alimi: Ali mamon, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
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Culture
- Owing to its geographic location, Yemen has been at the crossroads of many civilisations for over 7,000 years.
- Yemen is one of the least developed countries in the world, facing significant obstacles to sustainable development, and is one of the poorest countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
- In 2019, the United Nations reported that Yemen had the highest number of people in need of humanitarian aid, amounting to about 24 million individuals, or nearly 75% of its population.
Picture
The old fortified city has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years and contains many intact architectural sites.
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.