Massacre of rivals triggered S. Yemen war

Press, 1 February 1986, Page 10

Massacre of rivals triggered S. Yemen war

NZPA-NYT Aden A gangland-style massacre by the President All Nasser Muhammad, of his rivals in the ruling Marxist Party’s politburo touched off more than a week of bitter house-to-house battles and a rebellion that drove him from office, according to authoritative Southern Yemeni sources. . - Mr Muhammad called a meeting of the 15-member politburo at 10 a.m. on January 13. But he did not attend, Yemeni sources said, travelling Instead by car to his tribal stronghold in the Abyan region with a small group of supporters.

As the other members of the politburo entered their low, pastel green headquarters near the harbour, the President’s personal , guards reportedly opened fire on them with their Kalashnikov assault rifles, mowing down several of his most prominent critics. . But bodyguards of other politburo members drew their weapons and a wild gun battle broke out, In which other opponents of the President escaped. For days fierce battles raged through Aden as the rival factions, scattered in clumps throughout the city, battled with tanks, rockets, artillery

pieces, naval vessels and even hand-to-hand across the lobby of the Rock Hotel. A senior Yemeni journalist said those believed to have been among the 13,000 killed had included those killed in the fighting in Aden, which included round-ups and mass killings of Mr Muhammad’s opponents. A new Government, headed by the former Prime Minister, Haider abu-Bakr Attas, is how in control, emphasising, what it calls a “collective leadership." Most of the main rivals in the power struggle are said to have been killed, and, according to the new leaders, Mr

Muhammad has been driven from the country. Charred and smashed buildings throughout the picturesque old city, and the wreckage, swiftly being cleaned up now, of tanks and trucks in the streets, testify to the ferocity of the battle. , “It was hell because it was street-to-street,. wln-dow-to-window,” said a Southern Yemeni who lived through the battle huddled on the floor of his home with his wife and three children. “It was hell.”

Under bright sun workers struggled to clean up thick, sticky oil covering many of the streets.

Huge petroleum storage tanks and pipelines were hit by naval gun-fire. Four foreign journalists who arrived at Aden after an arduous 52-hour voyage across the Arabian Sea in a 11-metre sailboat and a final 5-nauticai-mile ride through high seas in an inflatable rubber dinghy into the harbour have been welcomed by the new authorities and driven about the city, now quiet, to show that they are in control. Officials of ttie new Government drove the four journalists into neighbouring Abyan province, the former President’s stronghold, to demonstrate that they were now

fully in charge and that what is now referred to aS “the All Nasser clique” or even “the so-called All Nasser” had fled.

“We hear oh the foreign radio stations that All Nasser is here in Abyan province,” said the new Acting Governor, Mohsen All Saleh, a stern looking man with a pistol strapped around his waist “But we know he is not here. He has been defeated. He came here and then he fled away.” Mr Attas, the new President who had been on a trip abroad when the fighting broke out said in a speech announcing the new Government that it

would retain its ties with Moscow. Southern Yemen has been the Soviet Union’s key toehold in the Middle East situated along strategic sea lanes to East Africa, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean. About 1000 Soviet experts are stationed in South Yemen, including those on a naval base on Socotra Island, as well as many Sovief East German and Cuban advisers to the police, education and other Ministries.

The huge Soviet, Embassy was in the midst of the fighting and is heavily damaged. Much of the top floor of the main building has been shot away. Ac-

cording to reports circulating in Aden disgruntled supporters of the President lined up their tanks and blasted rit just before they fled. - ' - Mr Muhammad? Jjad i been trying to impoverished country ?to the west; V including' , pos* j sibly dip exploration, .and to establish relations with the conservative heigh- l i bouring countries •j;- of Oman,- Saudi Arabia, and < North Yemmi;.?' • But it appears that the i i power struggle that has been simmering for more jthan a year owes more to personal rivalries :■ and age-old tribal hostilities : than to ideology. • v