Yemen Huthis Chief Warns Rivals over Stability

Yemeni Shiite militia chief Abdelmalek al-Huthi warned his rivals Tuesday against any attempt to destabilize the country after his group grabbed power in Sanaa.

"It is in the interests of everyone, both inside and outside the country, that Yemen be stable," Huthi said in a televised address as U.N.-brokered talks seeking a way out of the crisis were held at a hotel.

"The interests of those who bet on chaos and want to hurt the economy and security of the people will suffer," he warned.

Huthi also sought to reassure diplomats in the troubled country amid unconfirmed reports that some embassies in Sanaa intended to close for security reasons.

"Some people are raising concerns among diplomatic missions so that they flee the country," he said, adding that "these fears are unfounded. The security situation is stable" in Sanaa.

Addressing his political adversaries, Huthi proposed what he called "a partnership" under the "constitutional declaration" by which the Shiite militiamen seized power Friday.

He took particular aim at the Sunni Islamist party al-Islah, one of the fiercest opponents of his militia, urging it to give up an ideology "that excludes the other."

Speaking on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the start of the uprising that led to February 2012's departure of president Ali Abdullah Saleh, Huthi urged his supporters to celebrate the event en masse in the capital Wednesday.

Yemen, which is riven by tribal divisions and awash with weapons, has been engulfed in crisis since the veteran strongman was forced from power following a bloody year-long uprising against his rule.

The country is also battling an al-Qaida insurgency and facing a separatist movement in the formerly independent south.

U.N. envoy Jamal Benomar has warned that Yemen is at a "crossroads", and urged political leaders to "take up their responsibilities and achieve consensus" as he battles for a negotiated solution.