Yemen transfer of power must begin 'immediately': US

Anti-government protesters march to demand the ouster
of Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa
© AFP/File Mohammed Huwais

AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States said Friday the transfer of power in Yemen must begin “immediately,” after the UN Security Council passed a resolution urging President Ali Abdullah Saleh to quickly step down.

“The international community sent a clear, unified message that the time has come for President Saleh to allow the Yemeni people to live free from violence and insecurity,” a State Department spokesman, Mark Toner, said in a statement.

The Security Council called on Saleh to keep a promise to immediately sign a Gulf Cooperation Council deal that would see him step aside 30 days after it was signed, and for a peaceful transition of power “without further delay”.

The resolution, backed by all 15 council members including the US, also “strongly condemns” deadly government attacks on demonstrators since protests against Saleh erupted in January. Several hundred people have been killed.

“We urge the government of Yemen to investigate those responsible for violence against peaceful protesters and hold them accountable for their crimes,” Toner said.

“The only way to meet the aspirations of the Yemeni people is immediately to begin a transition of power in accordance with the Gulf Cooperation Council’s initiative.”