Gunmen storm Yemeni interior ministry

About 100 armed tribesmen loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh stormed the Interior Ministry building in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday demanding to be enlisted in the police force, an official told the Reuters news agency. The tribesmen briefly held some employees hostage before freeing them a few hours later, the Interior Ministry official said. Sunday’s showdown highlighted the continuing turmoil in the country despite a peace deal under which Saleh stood down after months of protests against his 33-year rule and was replaced in February by his deputy, current President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi. It is also a direct challenge to Hadi’s authority. He is trying to restructure the armed forces and stabilise the impoverished Arab nation, where Saleh’s legacy still looms large. The Interior Ministry official said the tribesmen were Saleh loyalists, who were promised they would be enrolled in the police force in return for helping tackle last year’s uprising. The reward has not been granted to them. “At midday, the armed tribesmen... stormed the ministry’s building, took control of it and climbed onto the roof with their guns,” the official said. “They refuse to leave until their demands are met.” Tribesmen have fought alongside government troops in a US-backed offensive against al Qaeda-linked militants that drove insurgents out of several towns in the south of the country last month. Many tribal fighters also sided with Saleh who was toppled by a popular uprising. Disgruntled tribesmen often kidnap foreigners and bomb oil and gas pipelines as a way to press demands on authorities. In April, officers and tribesmen loyal to Saleh forced Yemen’s main airport to close for a day in protest at the sacking of the air force commander, a half-brother of Saleh.