Republic of Yemen

See also: Yemen

See also: U.S. policy towards Yemen

The formal government of Yemen is the Republic of Yemen, formed, in 1990, from North Yemen (a part of the Ottoman Empire until 1918), and South Yemen (a British protectorate until 1967). North Yemen had existed as the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen until 1962 and as the Yemen Arab Republic thereafter, with a capital in Sanaa, and South Yemen as the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, having Aden as its capital. Ali Abdallah Salih, former president of North Yemen, is the current head of state.

While the Republic has an obvious Presidential system with legislative and judicial branches, Yemen has a unique combination of central and tribal government.

As a matter of fundamental policy, Yemen has said it will not allow "foreign troops" on its soil. Yemen has never and will never accept any foreign troops on its territories,' the source said, quoted by the Defence Ministry's weekly newspaper, the 26 September. He said the Arab country 'will continue its unabated open war against the terrorist elements and outlaws and it is capable of pursuing those terrorist elements,' the unnamed source said. The Yemeni source said that 'fighting terrorism is a Yemeni interest in the first instance.'

The source also said Yemen 'will not accept any terrorist on its soil' and that the country 'will not become a safe haven for terrorists.'

The remarks come one week ahead of an international conference on Yemen due to be held in London on January 27.

International relations

There will be a 27 January 2010 meeting, called by Gordon Brown, aboutthe radicalization and the al-Qaeda threat in Yemen.

Yemeni Prime Minister Ali Mujawar will represent Yemen in the gathering that will bring together representatives from governments of 21 countries including the United State, the United Kingdom, Arab Gulf, Russia, Germany, Spain, France, Canada, Italy and the Netherlands.