Houthi rebels stood guard Wednesday outside President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi’s residence, a senior Houthi resistance movement leader told CNN, amid uncertainty over who is in control of the volatile nation.
“(The) President’s personal security left him, which forced us to gather hundreds of fighters from our security to ensure he is safe,” said Houthi leader Abdullah Shabaan.
Shiite Houthi rebels overtook the presidential palace in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Tuesday, marking what a government minister called “the completion of a coup.”
“The President has no control,” Minister of Information Nadia Sakkaf told CNN as clashes raged.
President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi was thought to be in his private residence at the time — not in the palace. There were reports of clashes near the residence.
–
Prolonged turmoil
Houthis swept into the capital last year, sparking battles that left more than 300 dead in a month. In September, they signed a ceasefire deal with the government, and Houthis have since installed themselves in key positions in the government and financial institutions.
But tensions flared again last weekend as Houthis said they abducted presidential Chief of Staff Ahmed bin Mubarak in Sanaa on Saturday. Osama Sari, senior media adviser to the Houthi movement in Yemen, said Houthis detained bin Mubarak because the President wanted to introduce a new constitution without the Houthis’ approval.
Ban and Mogherini both appealed Tuesday for his immediate release.
CNN’s Jason Hanna, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Salim Essaid and Susannah Cullinane contributed to this report.
