Leave Yemen or face sanctions, US tells former president Saleh

SANAA // The United States has delivered an ultimatum to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh to leave Yemen by Friday or face United Nations sanctions, an official in his office said on Wednesday, calling on supporters to resist the move.

The United Nations last month expressed deep concern at developments in Yemen, urging the new government to expedite reforms – especially in the army and security forces – and threatening to impose sanctions on “spoilers” endangering the country’s peace, security and stability.

The United States last week requested that the UN Security Council impose an asset freeze and global travel ban on Mr Saleh and two Houthi rebel leaders for threatening the peace and stability of Yemen and obstructing the political process.

“An ultimatum has been given ... by the US ambassador, Matthew Tueller, through mediators, for president Ali Abdullah Saleh to leave Yemen before five o’clock next Friday,” an official source in Mr Saleh’s office said in a statement.

“Otherwise, there will be sanctions issued against him based on a request by president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the US state department to the UN Security Council,” the source added in the statement distributed to journalists.

Approval by all 15 council members is required to impose sanctions, and the council has set a deadline of Friday evening for objections, diplomats said.

The US sanctions request stated that since he stepped down in 2012 following widespread protests, Mr Saleh “reportedly become one of the primary supporters of the Houthi rebellion” and that he was behind attempts to cause chaos throughout Yemen.

Mr Saleh’s office said it regarded the ultimatum as an unacceptable intervention in Yemen’s internal affairs.

“The source urged members of the General People’s Congress and its allies and the masses of the Yemeni people to be alert and to prepare to confront all possibilities that threaten the security and stability and unity of Yemen,” it said.

The leader of the Houthi rebels has brushed off the threat of sanctions. “We are not afraid,” said Abdel Malek Al Houthi.

Meanwhile, an Algerian national was shot dead and a Frenchman was wounded on Wednesday by unidentified assailants in the southern part of the capital Sanaa, a police source said.

* Reuters and Associated Press