SANA'A // As violence escalated across Yemen yesterday, opposition leaders rejected an invitation to talks with the president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Saudi Arabia.
The Gulf Cooperation Council had proposed that Mr Saleh and representatives of opposition parties meet in Riyadh to discuss the president's future and to end the violence that has claimed more than 100 lives. Saudi Arabia is a long-time supporter of Mr Saleh.
The president said yesterday he would attend the proposed talks and urged his opponents to join him, but an opposition leader said yesterday they would not attend.
"There is no dialogue with the regime and we are not authorised by the people to go and negotiate in their name," Mohammed al Sabri said. The Yemeni people demand "the immediate departure of Saleh and the international community have to respect their choice", he said
Mr Saleh, who ignored a transition-of-power plan offered on Saturday by the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), an opposition coalition of six parties, said he wanted to negotiate.
"I promise that we will make every effort to return things to normal through talks with rational people from the JMP," he told supporters from his tribe.
"We repeat our invitation to them to sit at the table of dialogue and we call for a restraint from violence."
This latest diplomatic standoff comes amid worsening violence. Gunmen on rooftops fired on demonstrators at a sit-in in Taiz yesterday, hours after a government attack on a protest march injured hundreds.
Witnesses said they saw several people fall from injuries as the gunfire continued, but there was no information on casualties from hospitals.
Attacks earlier yesterday left about 30 wounded from gunfire or beatings, and another 300 were hurt by tear-gas inhalation.
The protesters said one demonstrator was killed and 22 others were injured yesterday in Sana'a when armed government supporters and security forces attacked them.
About 15 people were killed in a similar attack on protesters the day before.
The JMP issued a statement on Monday accusing Mr Saleh, his sons and relatives, as well as security and military units they control, of carrying out planned attacks against peaceful demonstrations with the intent to kill.
The dissident Yemeni general Ali Mohsen al Ahmar accused forces loyal to Mr Saleh of trying to kill him yesterday in an ambush in which a number of other people lost their lives.
Members of the presidential guard masquerading as part of a delegation of tribal envoys visiting the headquarters of General Ahmar's rebel division pulled out weapons and opened fire on the general, a statement from his office said. "Thanks to God and the vigilance of General al Ahmar, this plot was unmasked," said the statement issued in the name of the "information office of the armed forces supporting the young people's revolution". It said there had been "numerous" casualties but gave no precise figures.
General al Ahmar, who also comes from Mr Saleh's tribe, defected to the opposition and has encouraged the resignation of dozens of high-profile diplomats, ministers and army and party leaders.
The state Saba news agency reported that four people from a tribal mediation group were killed and 67 others were wounded by General al Ahmar's soldiers and opposition supporters.
Saba also reported that the casualties in Taiz and Hodiedah on Monday were caused by an attempt by armed people to storm government buildings, including the presidential palaces and governors' offices in the two cities.
The agency said Mr Saleh was committed to a peaceful transfer of power through the constitution and to safe hands that can protect the unity of the country, multi-party system and the fight on extremism and terrorism.
In Riyadh, a spokesman for the Saudi foreign ministry said he did not know the status of the GCC proposal to negotiate. "I believe that the GCC is talking to all parties," he said.
The spokesman, Osama Nugali, declined to say how Saudi Arabia views the stalemate in Yemen or what Mr Saleh should do. "We feel that's a decision that should be taken by the Yemeni people," Mr Nugali said. "It's their country, it's their political future and they should decide."
Saudi Arabia would like to see "security and stability" in Yemen, he added.
Some diplomats believe that the Saudis have lost patience with Mr Saleh and now see him as a liability. There is a feeling in Riyadh that they "cannot continue business as usual" with the Yemeni president, one diplomat said.
Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, expressed grave concern over "the reports of violent repression, including live ammunition, against demonstrators". In a statement yesterday she said she had contacted Mr Saleh last week to call for an orderly handover. "Transition must begin now," she said.
The Yemeni government said Ms Ashton's statement was based on false information provided by the opposition and media and she should have checked the facts with them.
The Pentagon said yesterday there were no plans to suspend US military assistance to Yemen but renewed calls for a peaceful transition of power in the face of anti-regime protests.
* With additional reporting from Reuters and Agence France-Presse
