Yemen president tours the South after weeks of clashes

Yemen's president visited the country's fractious southern region on Sunday in a show of strength, following weeks of violence [2] in the Abyan and Aden states, AP reported on Monday.

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi [3] toured Zinjibar in Abyan province on foot and traveled in convoy on the road to Aden in a move designed to show that his government was back in control of the region.

In Abyan, the government has faced a series of attacks by al-Qaeda fighters who had taken over large swathes of the province. Meanwhile in the Aden region, Southern separatists groups have again risen up against the Sana'a government [4], calling for an independent state.

President Hadi is seen by many as part of the problem as he was deputy to ousted dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh [5], back when he was in power. Following Yemen's uprising the former president was overthrown but many of the old officials have stayed in power.

[6] © 2013 Al Bawaba (Albawaba.com)