Report: Yemeni forces and tribesmen reach a truce in Taez

Aug 10, 2011

Cairo - A truce has been reached between Yemen's presidential guards and armed tribes backing the pro-democracy protesters in Taez, the Dubai-based Al Arabiya satellite channel said Wednesday.

Taez, Yemen's second largest city has witnessed sporadic clashes between the two sides in recent weeks.

The agreement, which was reached between representatives of the local authorities, tribes and protesters, stipulates that the presidential guards loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Yemeni president, and armed tribesmen will withdraw from the streets, allowing the deployment of police.

The tribes armed militias were deployed in Taez in June to protect protesters from attacks by troops loyal to Saleh, who has been in Saudi Arabia for treatment after being badly burned in a bomb attack in early June.

The attack on the embattled president came after millions of Yemenis took to the streets in February onwards to demand Saleh's ouster.

Around 400 people have been killed in the government crackdown against the pro-democracy protesters since the uprising started, human rights advocates said.

This is the second truce to be reached between the two sides. A similar truce collapsed in early August.