Yemen's President Hadi, who continues the civil war, has announced that he will transfer his authority, and it will be interesting to see how it will affect the overall ceasefire that has just been agreed between the administration and rebels earlier this month.
In Yemen, a civil war has continued for more than seven years between the Hadi administration, which is supported by neighboring Saudi Arabia, and the Houthis, a rebel group supported by Iran. Both sides have agreed on a total ceasefire for the month.
Under these circumstances, President Hadi suddenly issued a statement on the 7th, stating that he would transfer the president's authority to the newly established leadership council, saying, "To achieve lasting peace."
A leading politician appointed chairman of the Guiding Council was reportedly closely linked to the Saudi government, which welcomed President Hadi's decision and announced a huge amount of financial assistance.
This transfer of authority is believed to be in line with the Saudi Arabian government's desire to advance negotiations for peace, which has been slow to progress under the Hadi administration.
However, following this announcement, it is unclear how the hostile Houthis will respond, and it will be interesting to see how it will affect the maintenance of the ceasefire that has just been agreed upon.