Cairo: A new Yemeni government has been formed as part of a Saudi-brokered pact between the internationally recognised authority and the Southern Transitional Council (STC).
Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi has decreed the formation of the 24-member government, led by previous prime minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed , Yemen’s official news agency reported.
Ahmed Awwad Bin Mubarak has been named foreign minister and Gen. Mohammed Ali Al Maqdashi defence minister.
The announcement comes after the deployment of military forces was completed in southern Yemen in line with the power-sharing deal.
In November last year, the Yemeni government and the STC signed the accord, officially dubbed the Riyadh Agreement, which ended a months-long feud between both sides to refocus efforts on fighting Al Houthi militia.
The accord provides for forming a 24-strong government equally composed from Yemen’s southern and northern provinces, excluding Al Houthis.
Earlier this month, a Saudi-led Arab alliance fighting in Yemen started overseeing the redeployment process as part of the Riyadh deal.
Al Houthis, aligned with Iran, have plunged Yemen into a devastating conflict after they toppled the internationally recognised government and overran the capital Sana’a in late 2014.
