Yemen Crisis: Rebel Actions ‘Illegitimate’, Says Ex-President

Yemen’s ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi has accused the Houthi militia that seized power last month of staging a coup.

In his first statement since escaping house arrest in the capital Sanaa, Mr Hadi said all measures taken by the Houthis were “null and illegitimate”.

Speaking from his political stronghold in the southern city of Aden, he said he was still the president.

He called upon world powers “to reject the coup”.

He had spent weeks under house arrest in Sanaa after the Houthis forced him to resign.

His escape came a day after rival parties agreed on the formation of a governing transitional council.

Yemen has been in crisis since the takeover by the Houthis, a Shia group.

Rebels ‘tricked’

In the statement, which he signed as “president of the republic”, Mr Hadi called for a national commission to oversee the drafting of a new constitution.

He also called on military and security forces to protect the constitutional government.

UN mediator Jamal Benomar announced a preliminary accord between feuding factions earlier this week and hailed it as “an important step”.

It is not clear why Mr Hadi was allowed to leave his home on Saturday. Aides close to the former president told the Associated Press news agency that he was freed after pressure from the UN, the US, Russia and local political parties.

Mr Hadi is said to be at his home in a district of Aden.

Source: BBC