Yemen's Hadi orders new government to return to Aden

In comments he made after meeting with members of the new government and Speaker of Parliament Sultan al-Barakani, Hadi told the new government to leave to Yemen, where it will work to resolve "economic challenges, to support the national currency, build and enhance the state’s revenues and its various institutions", he said, according to SABA news agency.

"We want Aden as a capital city for Yemen. We want institutions to be built to recover the economy and provide security and services to people," he said.

The announcement came after Yemeni activists last week launched an online campaign demanding that the newly formed government returns to Aden.

Activists said the campaign aimed to put pressure on the presidency, the government and the Yemeni parliament to immediately return to the country to carry out their duties.

They also called for the new government to take its constitutional oath in Aden and not in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Yemen's internationally recognised government and southern separatists formed a new cabinet on Friday, forging a joint front against Houthi rebels who have seized much of the north.

The new government was formed under the auspices of Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition against the Iran-backed Houthis, who took control of the capital Sanaa in 2014.

Prime Minister Main Said retained his position in the new government, which comprises 24 ministers, while changes have taken place in several ministries, including the foreign ministry. 

Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions displaced in Yemen's grinding five-year war, which has triggered what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian disaster.

In recent months, the rebels have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia - including its critical oil infrastructure - in retaliation for the Riyadh-led military campaign. 

Yemen’s unity government formation comes a month before the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden, who was critical of Saudi Arabia during his campaign amid the humanitarian disaster in Yemen since Riyadh's intervention in the conflict in 2015.

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