Sana’a: Al Houthi militia fired warning shots Sunday to disperse a protest against their takeover of Sana’a as parliament failed to convene to discuss the president’s resignation, prolonging a dangerous power vacuum in Yemen.
President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, a key US ally in the fight against Al Qaida’s Yemen-based deadly franchise, tendered his resignation along with Prime Minister Khalid Bahah on Thursday, saying he could no longer stay in office as Yemen was in “total deadlock”.
Al Houthi militia, who have controlled most of the capital since September, overran the presidential palace last week prompting Hadi to tender his resignation, shortly after Bahah quit.
As demonstrators began to gather near Sana’a University early on Sunday to protest against the increasing Al Houthi control, Al Houthi militiamen fired warning shots to disperse them and made several arrests.
The militiamen also attacked journalists and smashed their cameras, deploying in force around the university to prevent any renewed protest.
On Saturday, thousands of Yemenis took to the streets of Sana’a in the biggest demonstration to date against the Al Houthis.
The crisis in the Arabian Peninsula country escalated on January 17 when the Al Houthis seized Hadi’s chief of staff, Ahmad Awad Bin Mubarak, in an apparent bid to extract changes to a draft constitution they oppose.
The Al Houthis still hold Mubarak and maintain a tight grip on the capital despite a deal struck late on Wednesday to end what authorities called a coup attempt.
The fall of Hadi’s Western-backed government would raise fears of complete chaos engulfing Yemen, strategically located next to Saudi Arabia and on the key shipping route from the Suez Canal to the Gulf.
On Sunday, parliament for a second time postponed an extraordinary session which had been due to discuss Hadi’s resignation.
Parliament “has decided to postpone an emergency meeting set to take place on Sunday... to another date which will be decided later to make sure all members are informed to attend,” state news agency Saba reported.
Lawmakers had originally been due to meet on Friday to discuss his request to step down.
Parliament speaker Yahya Al Raie travelled to neighbouring Saudi Arabia to offer his condolences on the death of King Abdullah on Friday, but he was back home on Sunday.
Al Houthi militiamen, have surrounded the parliament building since late Thursday, two days after they seized control of the presidential palace.
The Al Houthis have also encircled Hadi’s residence and those of several ministers.
“We are under house arrest,” a minister of state in the resigned government, Hasan Zaid, himself a Zaidi, told AFP.
The Al Houthis blocked off a convoy of armed Sunni tribesmen who arrived in Sana’a on Saturday from attempting to free top officials, tribal sources said.