Ten Injured as Yemeni Troops Fire on Protesters

Photo Credit: Reuters

Ten demonstrators were injured in Yemen Tuesday during a protest near an oilfield operated by French Total in the southeastern Hadramaut province. Yemeni troops opened fire on jobless protestors calling for the French energy company to hire them. Witnesses said troops guarding the facility fired tear gas and live ammunition at the demonstrators who gathered on a road leading to the oilfield.

Meanwhile, the International Crisis Group released a report Tuesday arguing that though Yemen’s political transition has accomplished some of its goals, “much remains in doubt, notably the scope and direction of change.” In the absence of a strong and inclusive political system, militant groups have taken advantage of the growing security vacuum. Moreover, the transition has failed to address important political rivalries among groups that have dominated the country for decades, and “the underlying political economy of corruption has remained virtually untouched.” The report closes with recommendations to numerous camps to ease the difficulties of Yemen’s transition.