Rivals in war

President Saleh has said, he will not resign and leave the Yemen despite the pressure of mounting demonstrations and widespread to the Yemen opposition is currently two quarters of parallel power: a popular revolution inspired by the "Arab spring" and a struggle of power elite.

Competition between rival factions of elites has been brewing for several years and has intensified as President of long-standing service of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, focused to power around his family.

Each faction cultivates clients and proxy servers across the political spectrum, in the departments of the Government and the military, as well as among the traditional community leaders.

Fighting erupted on Monday between units loyal to Mr. Saleh and the supporters of a rival family, the al-Ahmars, who hold a range of important social and political positions.

Sadeq al-Ahmar is supreme leader of the most powerful tribal grouping of Yemen, Rachid Confederation. His brother, Himyar, was Vice-President of the Parliament, until his resignation in March to join the revolution.

Forces loyal to President Saleh moved against the Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar Monday compound established opposition

A third brother, Hussein, organized of tribal militias to fight in a civil war of long duration in the Northern Saada province, near the border with Saudi Arabia.

The fourth and most eminent brother, Hameed is a tycoon and rich business opposition politician who has the mobile network of Sabafon and a television channel called Suhail TV.

Hameed appears in the speech to the sides of the candidate of the opposition in the last presidential campaign and rallies in 2006 and provides financial support to the coalition of the opposition.

A few years ago, he met an American official in the capital Sanaa, Yemen and revealed, according to the Washington Post, a plan secret to overthrow Mr. Saleh by organizing mass demonstrations and "controlled chaos".

Continue reading the main history

independent young activists demand a political configuration more progressive which may contain factions responsible Yemen elites, "

quote end to the revolution in Tunisia overthrew President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January"Hameed responded to an obvious political opportunity.

The first wave of anti-Government protests in Sana'a were largely coordinated by the established opposition coalition and mobile network of Hameed Sabafon sends messages to organize protest time and location.

Hameed - and other businessmen Yemeni - would also be financial support to people living within the camp of protest.

But the momentum behind the revolution quickly grew beyond the control of top down opposition established.

Generational transition

Independent young activists demand a political configuration more progressive that can empower the elites of the Yemen factions and giving more authority to the institutions of the State.

The current into the elite power struggle comes in a generational transition, with power passing through the Patriarch of the family al-Ahmar, Sheikh Abdullah end who died in 2007, his son.

At the same time, eldest son of Mr. Saleh, Ahmed Ali and nephews Tarik, Yahya and Amar - command the elite security and intelligence units, trained and funded by Western Governments - are also positioning for the succession.

Continue reading of history main Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar is the leader in global Rashid tribal Confederation, one of the main groups of tribal YemenHis Abdullah bin Hussein al-Ahmar - deceased father in 2007 - based brother Hamid al-Ahmar of the Islamist Islah opposition partySheikh Sadiq is a prominent businessman and member of Islah; He has repeatedly called for the resignation of Mr. Saleh another brother, Sheikh Hussein Bin Abdullah al-Ahmar, resigned the President Council governing popular in February on the shooting of President Saleh protestersLike, the Ahmars are the Zaidi Shi'a Islam branchWhile most Yemenis are Sunni Shaf'istsThe agreement of power-sharing which was concluded between Sheikh Abdullah and Mr. Saleh during the 1980s and 1990 has to be renegotiated by their heirs.

The loyalty of a third player of regime, senior Army Commander Gen Ali Mohsin al-Ahmar, will play an important role in the determination of the outcome of the current clashes.

"Proxy war".

He command the 1st armoured division tank and leads the Northwest region, one of the four military divisions in the Yemen.

Confusion, Gen Mohsin is a close relative of Mr. Saleh, but it is not linked to the al-Ahmar family. He led the first military campaign in the Saada war, which began in 2004, and obvious tensions between General Mohsin and family of gradually became President during the war.

GEN Mohsin was said to oppose the growing importance of the eldest son of President Saleh, Ahmed Ali, whose division of the Republican Guard was also posted within the zone of conflict.

In 2008, the political elite of the Yemen has been buzzing with rumors of clashes between the Mohsin Gen and Ahmed Ali, eldest son of Mr. Saleh. And Yemeni newspapers began to report on a proxy war between the forces of two men, under the guise of quashing rebels of Saada.

In 2009, when Saudi Arabia deployed air and ground forces to quash the cross-border of the rebel incursion, military planners of President Saleh has presented Saudi pilots with the coordinates for a possible air strike, which the Saudis made was the location of the headquarters of Gen Mohsin.

General publicly deserted Mohsin Saleh President in March, after an attack of sniper the camp protest in Sanaa. Since then, under his command tank battalions were deployed at strategic locations in the whole of the capital.