Sana'a: Yemen on Saturday declared a state of emergency in a southern province where separatists wanted to stage anti-unity demonstrations, official sources said on Saturday.
"The city of Al Dhale'e was surrounded from all directions and all entrances were closed since early morning to prevent any armed outlaws from entering it to undermine the security," said the director of security in Al Dhale'e, Gazi Al Ahwal.
Earlier, the governor of Al Dhale'e, Ali Kasem Taleb, said he had a meeting with the security officials and decided to prevent any citizen from walking around with guns.
Sources said that elements from the separatist southern movement were planning to stage demonstration in Al Dhale'e on Saturday to deliver an anti-unity message to the international and Gulf donors who meet on the same day in the Saudi capital Riyadh for helping Yemen maintain its unity, security and stability.
The separatists call themselves peaceful movement for returning the independent state of the south, which united with the north in 1990.
Some of these separatists, however, take to the streets with their guns, block roads, set fire to shops belonging to northerners, and sometimes kill northerners only because they are northerners.
"This is an armed movement and not peaceful movement," said Al Ahwal.
In Mukalla, far east of the country, owners of the shops and commercial centres remained closed since early morning in fear of riots by disgruntled demonstrators who wanted also demonstrate to coincide with the Riyadh conference which is reviewing the security and economic challenges facing Yemen.
Will peace ever prevail in Yemen? What can be done to help the country?
