Yemen names police chiefs close to Shiite militia, Saleh

Sanaa — Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has appointed top security officials known for their close ties to Shiite militiamen who have overrun the capital and to former strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The Houthi militia fighters, who now appear in full control of Sanaa, have demanded the government — formed in November under a UN-brokered peace deal — recruit thousands of their supporters for the army and security forces.

In a decree issued late on Monday, Hadi appointed General Abdulrazaq Al Merwani as chief of the police special forces.

Merwani is Shiite and known for his close ties to the Houthis, who met no resistance when they seized the Yemeni capital on September 21 before sweeping into several other towns and provinces.

Hadi, who gave no reason for the security appointments, named another Shiite close to the Houthis, Colonel Nasser Al Shawthabi, as director of the police special force's operations.

The unit, known previously as the central security force, was loyal to Saleh who stepped down in February 2012 following a year of often-deadly protests against his autocratic rule.

Hadi tapped General Yehya Qarqar, known for his strong ties with Saleh, as police chief of staff, replacing General Ahmed Maqdeshi who is close to the anti-Houthi Sunni Islamist Al Islah Party.

The Houthis are widely believed to be backed by Saleh.

Washington has accused the ex-strongman of being "behind the attempts to cause chaos throughout Yemen" by using the militia to weaken the government and "create enough instability to stage a coup".

The turmoil has raised fears that Yemen, which neighbours oil-rich Saudi Arabia and lies on the key shipping route from the Suez Canal to the Gulf, may become a failed state similar to Somalia.

The UN Security Council in November slapped sanctions — including a visa ban and asset freeze — on Saleh and two rebel commanders for threatening peace.

Yemen has been dogged by instability since Saleh's ouster, with the Houthis and Al-Qaeda seeking to fill the power vacuum.

On January 7, a car bomb targeted potential police recruits in Sanaa, killing 40 people.

Authorities have blamed the attack on Al Qaeda, which has been battling the Houthis. But a leader of the group has denied the organisation was involved.

The Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is classified by Washington as the network’s deadliest branch.

One of the two brothers allegedly behind the attack on French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo told French TV before his death that he was acting on behalf of AQAP.