Arab, international understanding of Yemen efforts to end Saada rebellion

SANA'A, Aug. 20 (Saba)- Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi has said that the Yemeni
government was
interested to save the lives of civilians and displaced people in the ongoing
military operations to counter a rebellion in Saada province.
Speaking to the military-run 26September weekly, al-Qirbi said that the
international community, especially Arab and European countries, had demonstrated a
full understanding
of the government's efforts to protect security and stability of Yemen as part of
regional and global security.
"Yemen is working to provide protection and security to civilians in Saada through
providing essential services and food and establishing emergency camps in
cooperation
with international organizations", al-Qirbi pointed out.
He affirmed that he had held talks and meetings with a number of Arab and foreign
ambassadors and officials to explain the latest developments in the country,
including
the government's efforts to end the rebellion in Saada.
Since the fighting erupted in 2004, thousands of people, soldiers and insurgents
have been killed in Saada, which lies close to border with Saudi Arabia, after the
rebel
group was founded by Shiite rebel leader Hussein al-Houthi.
Hussein, the eldest brother of the current group leader Abdul-Malik, was killed by
the army in September 2004.
The Yemeni government accuses the al-Houthi group of trying to reinstall the rule
of imams, which was toppled by a republican revolution in northern Yemen in 1962.
YA