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Russia temporarily shuts embassy in Yemen

December 12, 2017

Russia has announced it is suspending its diplomatic presence in Yemen and relocating its diplomats to the Saudi capital Riyadh. The Foreign Ministry cited the deteriorating security situation as the reason for the move.

https://p.dw.com/p/2pEP7
Houthis take security measures as they build up checkpoints and place tanks at Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's residential building in Sanaa
Image: picture alliance/dpa/abaca/A. Homran

Russia removed all of its diplomatic personnel from Yemen and has temporarily shut its embassy there, the country's Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.

Russia's ambassador to Yemen and other diplomats would continue to fulfill their duties from Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement carried by Russian state media.

Read more: War in Yemen: 'The world isn't paying enough attention'

The decision to temporarily close the embassy, located in the rebel-held capital Sanaa, was attributed to thedeteriorating security situation in the country.

"Considering the situation in Sanaa, a decision has been taken to temporarily suspend Russia's diplomatic presence in Yemen. All employees of the Russian embassy have left the country," Zakharova was quoted by news agencies as saying.

Read more: Yemen's war shifts as Saudi-led airstrikes back Saleh loyalists against Houthis

Tensions rise after killing of ex-president

The impoverished country has been the site of a power struggle between Yemen's Saudi-backed government and Houthi rebels. The Iran-backed rebels have controlled Sanaa since late 2014; a Saudi-led military coalition has been bombing the rebels since 2015.

Read more: Yemen: What will change after Ali Abdullah Saleh's death?

The war has killed over 8,750 people, displaced 3 million others and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.

Tensions in the region have escalated since the Houthis killed former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who once supported the rebels, last week, after he switched allegiances to the Saudi-led coalition.

rs/msh   (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)