January 27, 2011 - The Arabic nation of Yemen saw the first major anti-government demonstration, one of several uprisings inspired by the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia. Situated in the capital of Sanaa, 16,000 protestors were calling for the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and a regime of 33 years.
Since that time, protests have continued, as Saleh announced that he did not intend to run for re-election in 2013, nor would he hand power to his son, Ahmed Ali, just days after demonstrations began.
Despite these promises, calls for the president's resignation culminated into February 3's "day of rage." While international attention later became distracted by the inception of an uprising in Libya in opposition to the Gaddafi regime, the crowds gathered in Sanaa and across the country continued to grow, as reports of fatalities surfaced.
On March 7, security forces opened fire on detainees revolting in prisons in solidarity with those protesting on the side of anti-government in Yemen. On March 18, almost two months since the start of the uprising in Yemen, and in contradiction with Ali Abdullah Saleh's calls for security forces to protect protestors on all sides of the demonstration, armed loyalists to the president opened fire on peaceful protestors during a sit-in at Sanaa University, killing 52 and injuring many more.
Intended to quash the continued protests, Friday's massacre (as it has been named) has since elicited support from within the regime, and compassion for those protesting in opposition. General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, high official and military commander of the northern region of Yemen, declared his support on Monday, March 21, of the peaceful revolution against the rule of Saleh, following the deployment of his own army to sit-in camps nearby the university.
"According to what I'm feeling, and according to the feelings of my partner commanders and soldiers ... I announce our support and our peaceful backing to the youth revolution," Ali Mohsen told the Guardian.
Mohsen hasn't been the only military or diplomatic figure to defect. Following Moshen's statements, and subsequent pledge to incite a slew of other defections, several region's governors, editors of government newspapers, businessmen and senior members of Saleh's government made known their allegiance to the protestors- and in many cases, resigned from their positions.
Seven Yemeni ambassadors - to Japan, Czech Republic, China, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Syria all announced that they were stepping down.
However, this has not decreased military presence in Sanaa, causing an uncertainty for future government, with some fearing the movement toward a transitional military government in Yemen, given the control that Saleh and his sons still have over the republican guard and the air force.
Equally, not all representatives of the current regime are declaring solidarity with the protests. Mohammed Nasser Ahmed, the defence minister of the country announced publicly that the army would defend the president against any "coup against democracy." This statement, delivered just 12 hours after promises were made to protect antigovernment protestors in the capital.
Pro-government forces were responsible for armed raids of the offices of al-Jazeera, where broadcasting equipment was seized. With many of the defecting figures now joining the anti-government youth revolution in the streets, in solidarity with peaceful protest, tension remains as demands for Saleh's resignation proliferate.
"We will not allow under any circumstances an attempt at a coup against democracy and constitutional legitimacy, or violation of the security of the nation and citizens," the defence minister asserts.
