Sana’a: “Yemen will be a federal state,” Jamal Bin Omar, UN secretary general’s special envoy to Yemen, told Gulf News, revealing some of the ongoing discussions in the national talks or the National Dialogue Conference.
Many observers in the country think that the future of the country hinges on the outcome of the national dialogue. The talks were designed to pave the way for post-transitional period by drafting a new constitution and electing a new president.
However, nearly two years after the departure of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, many hurdles still stand in the way of the country’s efforts to recover from Saleh’s era. One of these challenges is the growing deterioration of security in the country. In the past, the capital used to be a place of safety for people who run from insecurity in the loose areas.
But the December 5 deadly attack on ministry of defence, highlighted the government’s inability to control security even in the capital. Al Qaida’s threat to stability has reached unprecedented scale. The militants have assassinated hundreds of security officers across the country in the last couple of years.
Another challenge to the transitional period is the frequent sabotage attacks on oil and gas facilities in Mareb and Shabwa. These attacks blocked the flow of oil and gas, preventing the county from millions of dollars. Also former president’s eagerness to come back to office also presents another threat to transformation.
UN Security Council has recently accused Saleh’s regime of trying to derail peaceful transition in the country by not actively engaging in the talks. But despite all difficulties and obstacles, many Yemenis cheerfully still see light at the end of National Dialogue Conference.
