国际英语新闻:Yemen's president orders formation of new power-sharing government

ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's internationally-recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi on Friday ordered the formation of a new power-sharing government, the state-run news agency reported.

According to a presidential decree, Hadi chose the former Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik to lead the new power-sharing government formed equally between the country's northern and southern provinces.

The new power-sharing cabinet declared in accordance with a peace deal signed between the country's government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) last year in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh.

Hadi appointed General Mohammed Al Maqdashi as the country's Minister of Defence of the new power-sharing government that included a total of 24 ministers.

The well-known politician Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak was appointed as Yemen's new Minister of Foreign Affairs, said Saba News Agency.

Major General Ibrahim Haydan was chosen for the first time to be the Minister of Interior in the government-controlled Yemeni provinces, according to Hadi's decree.

Five ministers affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council were included in the formation of the new government.

The agency indicated that the formation of the new government came after completing the military and security provisions of Riyadh deal including the mutual withdrawals of warring troops in the country's southern part.

On Wednesday, forces loyal to Yemen's government and other military units of the Aden-based STC completed redeployment plans in the country's southern part under Saudi Arabia-led coalition's supervision.

Local military officials said that "the process of redeployment warring troops was completed successfully under the auspices of observers of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition."

In 2019, Saudi Arabia persuaded the STC and the Yemeni government to hold reconciliation talks, which succeeded in reaching a deal to form a new technocratic cabinet of no more than 24 ministers.

But numerous obstacles have stood in the way of implementing the deal, which excluded the Houthi rebels who are still controlling the capital Sanaa and other northern provinces of the war-torn Arab country.

The impoverished Arab country has been locked in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country and seized all northern regions including Sanaa.