By Gulsen Topcu
SANAA, Yemen (AA) – The governor of Yemen's southern port city Aden, Abdulaziz al-Muflehi, announced his resignation on Thursday due to a “large camp of corruption ” in the city.
In his resignation letter sent to President Abd Rabbou Mansour Hadi, Muflehi apologized to the people of Aden and said he faced strong difficulties during his duty as the governor of Aden.
According to Presidential sources speaking on the condition of anonymity, Hadi did not accept Muflehi's resignation. Upon his return from Riyadh, Hadi is to meet with Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, Muflehi and other relevant individuals regarding the matter said sources.
Hadi has been in Riyadh since he fled Yemen after Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including Sanaa, in 2014.
Muflehi in the resignation letter expressed his regret for “the recent deterioration of basic services including electricity and the skyrocketing prices of food created by the corruption of the Yemeni government, ” according to Xinhua news agency.
He accused Prime Minister Daghr of obstructing “all efforts and continuous attempts to support the brothers in the Arab alliance. ”
“Unfortunately, I found myself in a fierce war with a large corruption camp, with trained cadres and guarded fortresses led by Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, ” he added.
In April 2017, Yemen's Hadi dismissed Aden Governor Aidaroos al-Zubaidi, replacing him with al-Muflehi.
Impoverished Yemen has remained in a state of war since 2014, when the Shia Houthi militia group overran vast swathes of the country, including capital Sanaa, forcing Hadi’s government to set up an interim capital in Aden.
The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and shoring up Hadi’s pro-Saudi government.
According to UN officials, more than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict to date.
