Yemeni government avows security plan

Yemen's new government, sworn in last weekend, vowed on Wednesday to restore normalcy in the country by swiftly clearing the streets of armed men and removing military checkpoints. The tranitional unity government overseeing the departure of long-serving President Ali Abdullah Saleh has created a new military commission tasked with stabilising Yemen, the official Saba news agency reported. The commission is led by Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, who has been charged with managing Yemen's transition period and designated to serve as a consensus president following Saleh's departure, expected in February. "From Saturday, the roads will be open, normalcy re-established, the troops returned to their barracks with their equipment and armed men must return to their homes and checkpoints dismantled," Hadi was quoted as saying by Saba. The military commission will also aim to reform the security services, controlled partly by Saleh loyalists in accordance with a power transfer deal signed by the former president in November after more than ten months of protests against his regime. Violence in Yemen has continued since the deal was reached, notably in Sanaa and in the second city of Taez, where clashes between loyalist troops and dissidents have left dozens dead.