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The Government of South Africa has taken note of recent developments in the Republic of Yemen and welcomes the mediation efforts by the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, which led to an agreement to transfer power from President Ali Abdullah Saleh to his Vice-President, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

In this regard, the South African government also noted Mr Hadi’s appointment of an opposition leader, Mr Mohamed Salem Basindwah, as the country’s new Prime Minister and expressed the hope that the new Yemeni leadership would be able to implement the necessary measures in order to ensure that free and fair elections are held in February 2012 as provided for in the Agreement.

Furthermore, South Africa welcomes the creation of the new Unity Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Basindwah, announced on 8 December 2011. At the same time, the Government of South Africa is concerned about continuing violence in Yemen, most notably in the southern city of Taiz, and calls for restraint on the part of all protagonists.