The Houthi rebel movement has seized the Yemini presidential palace in Sanaa Tuesday after presidential guards surrendered their weapons after an extended firefight, according to Sky News. BBC reported that the Houthis are attacking President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi's private home in a different part of the city. The president is believed to be inside. Monday, clashes erupted between Houthi fighters and Sanaa guards at the presidential palace before a brief ceasefire was declared. Sunday, Hadi's chief of staff Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak had been kidnapped by the group. Gulf Cooperation Council states are scheduled to hold an emergency meeting of foreign ministers Wednesday in Riyadh air base, Saudi Arabia to discuss the crises. The Arab League released a statement Tuesday urging a national peaceful dialogue to solve the crises and start Yemen on what is to be a long path towards security and stability. The Arab League expressed its concern over the ongoing insurgency in Yemen, calling upon all political forces to cease all forms of violence and to respect the legitimate authority of the government. In recent years Yemen has witnessed massive violent clashes caused by power abuse, enflaming instability resulting in large-scale chaos. The weak governance, corruption, resource depletion and poor infrastructure have hindered development in the Middle East's poorest country. High Unemployment rates, raise of food prices, and poor social services have made more than 10 million Yemenis food insecure. In 2011, Houthis participated in the demonstrations demanding the removal of Yemeni President, Ali Abdullah Saleh and seized opportunity to expand their territorial control in Saada and Amran governorates. They participated in the National Dialogue Conference, in which Hadi revealed plans in February 2014 for making Yemen a federation of six regions.
