Yemen President Calls Houthi-Controlled Sanaa 'Occupied Capital'

Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi called Sanaa, controlled by the Houthis, an "occupied capital", adding that militants staged a coup in the country that would be death with. He made the remarks during a speech in the port city of Aden.

"I didn't leave Sanaa to announce the separation of the south, but to maintain the unity it achieved in 1990. The priority now is maintaining the security and unity of the country," the Middle East Monitor quoted Hadi as saying. Aden was the capital city of South Yemen until uniting with the Yemen Arab Republic in 1990.

The latest political crisis in Yemen was sparked last September, when the Houthis overran the capital. They then placed Hadi under house arrest, forcing the president to resign. On February 21, he fled to Aden saying all political decisions made by the Houthis were void.

Hadi is seen by many as Yemen's legitimate leader. Several countries, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, decided to reopen their diplomatic missions in the city, he currently based in, in a display of support for the legitimate government.