Gulf Cooperation Council To Meet Regarding Continuing Unrest In Yemen

Oh yeah. Because sh*t is real in Yemen too, in case you didn’t know.

Foreign ministers of Persian Gulf nations will meet in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday in the latest attempt to ease tensions between the government and the opposition in Yemen.

In a statement, the Gulf Cooperation Council said the meeting will focus on completing discussions that took place Sunday in Saudi Arabia with the opposition Joint Meeting Parties.

The meeting came as Yemeni security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters in the city of Taiz, injuring at least seven people, eyewitnesses and field medical teams said.

The GCC, a six-nation bloc of oil-producing countries, met Sunday in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, in an effort bring an end to the current political impasse in the country.

Violence and protest have raged in Yemen, where protesters have called for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. He has ruled the country since 1978.

In recent weeks, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets. Many have been arrested and injured in clashes with security forces.

The council has urged Saleh to transfer powers to his vice president, which has frustrated opposition members who want Saleh to resign.

“We will stay firm in our demands … for Saleh to step down,” said Yaseen Saeed Noman, president of the JMP. “Our brothers at the GCC promised us that they would continue in talks with Yemen’s ruling party and try to reach a solution that will ease the crises in the country.”

Imagine that: a conflict getting resolved without the US and it’s big bad Allies.

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