Sana’a/London: President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi on Thursday urged Yemen’s army and security forces brass to be vigilant in case enemies of the state try to undermine a national dialogue set to begin later this month.
The army and security forces must be “vigilant” and on the lookout “for the enemies of security, stability and unity in Yemen,” ahead of the March 18 national dialogue, the official Saba news agency reported him as saying.
“All military and security apparatus must draft the necessary plans, exchange information, unite operations and monitor terrorist elements,” Hadi said.
The much-anticipated national dialogue aims to set in motion a process to draft a new constitution and electoral law for parliamentary and presidential polls elections in 2014.
The dialogue, which is stipulated in the Gulf initiative, “is a historic responsibility at a delicate moment during which Yemen is facing security, political and economic crises,” Hadi said on Thursday.
He also warned of “severe measures” against anyone who tries to undermine the talks.
Meanwhile General Ali Mohsen Al Ahmar, a key figure who backed demands by demonstrators for the ouster of Saleh during the 2011 protests, urged military and civilian forces to rally around the dialogue and back Hadi’s efforts.
Ahmar said this was necessary to secure Yemen’s stability and set up “a modern, civilian and democratic state” in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country.
Also on Thursday, ministers at a meeting of the “Friends of Yemen” group in London said that international donors must speed up aid to impoverished Yemen to help it complete its delicate political transition and fight Al Qaida.
The grouping of more than 35 countries and international organisations pledged $7.9 billion (Dh28.99 billion) of aid to Yemen in 2012, but little of the funding has been distributed so far.
