Saleh resignation fails to pacify Yemen

The announcement that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is to step down has failed to quell unrest in the country. At least five people have been killed in clashes between supporters and opponents of the outgoing leader.

The victims were said to have been shot by Saleh’s followers. A number of others were injured in the violence in the capital, Sanaa. Elsewhere the army is reported to have killed 17 Islamists in the south.

The bloodshed in Sanaa underscores the continued volatility of the country. Ten months of street protests aimed at toppling the president brought Yemen to the brink of civil war.

Saleh finally bowed to that pressure on Wednesday, agreeing to step down and hand over power to his deputy immediately. A new government with opposition parties is

to be formed followed by an early presidential election.

But while the news brought joyous crowds onto the streets, there was anger among protesters that the deal grants Saleh and his relatives immunity from prosecution.

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