Yemen crisis: Houthi rebels 'announce takeover'

 

The Houthis have been the dominant force in Yemen for months

Yemen's Shia Houthi rebel movement has announced it is taking over the government and dissolving parliament.

In a televised statement, the group said a five-member council would act as the president for an interim period.
The group took control of the capital Sanaa in September, forcing the resignation of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in January.
The announcement comes after the failure of UN-brokered peace talks.
The Houthis set a Wednesday deadline for political parties to reach an agreement on ending the country's political turmoil, threatening to act unilaterally otherwise.
The rebels move would mark "a new era that will take Yemen to safe shores'', the statement said,

The Houthis' announcement was made on state television

The declaration will be seen by many Yemenis as the final stage of a Houthi coup, although some may feel that it could offer some hope of greater stability.
Government decisions will now in effect be dictated by a revolutionary committee, dominated by the rebels.
The Houthis delivered their message from the Republican palace in Sanaa to a huge gathering of political, military and tribal figures in an effort to show the range of their support.
Their writ will not be recognised by many Sunni and southern leaders, threatening Yemen with a further descent into chaos.
The UN's point man on Yemen, Jamal Benomar, headed straight to Saudi Arabia after the failure of talks to try to achieve some kind of political consensus there.
It is a sign of how concerned the Saudis are over what they see as an Iranian-backed Shia takeover in a country where they're accustomed to calling the shots