Saudi-backed Yemeni president launches partial cabinet reshuffle

ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-backed Yemeni President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi on Sunday conducted a partial cabinet reshuffle, including the sacking of the country's interior minister and three other ministers.

The president's office said in a statement that the Aden-based cabinet of Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr saw four changes, including the sacking of Interior Minister General Hussein Bin-Arab who was replaced by Ahmed bin Ahmed Maisari.

The cabinet reshuffle also included appointment of ministers of agriculture, oil and public transportation.

Other presidential decrees declared by Hadi included the sacking of two governors in the southern government-controlled provinces and appointment a new governor of the southwestern province of Taiz.

Observers said that the presidential decrees that resulted in the sacking of the governors of Lahj and al-Dhalea might generate resentment and indignation among the southern people, leading to chaos and insecurity.

According to the observers, some of the ousted ministers and the two governors were members of the pro-secession Southern Transitional Council and have strong influence in Aden.

Yemen's internationally-backed government, allied with the Saudi-led Arab military coalition, has for more than two years been battling Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels over the control of the country.

The coalition began a military air campaign in March 2015 to roll back Houthi gains and reinstate exiled President Hadi and his government to power.

The coalition also imposed air and sea blockade to prevent weapons from reaching Houthis, who had invaded the capital Sanaa militarily and seized most of the northern Yemeni provinces.

UN statistics show more than 10,000 people, most of whom civilians, have been killed since the coalition intervened in the Yemeni civil war that also displaced around 3 million.

The impoverished Arab country is also suffering the world's largest cholera epidemic since April, with about 5,000 cases reported every day. Enditem