South Yemen Struggles In Wake of Unrest

Farea Al-Muslimi reports on the challenges in Yemen's Abyan province, revealing the longstanding divide between the country's north and south.
Yemenis walk past destroyed buildings in Zinjibar, capital of Abyan province in southern Yemen on December 5, 2012, six months after the Yemeni army ousted al-Qaeda loyalists from the region. Before a counter-offensive by the army earlier this year, Al-Qaeda held large swathes of southern Yemen. But since its loss of a string of towns near the port city of Aden in June, most have fled into desert regions farther east. Although weakened, they continue to launch hit-and-run attacks on government and civilian
Yemenis walk past destroyed buildings in Zinjibar, capital of Abyan province in southern Yemen, on Dec. 5, 2012, six months after the Yemeni army ousted al-Qaeda loyalists from the region. - AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Sami al-Ansi
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Farea al-Muslimi
@AlMuslimi

ZINJIBAR, Yemen — Last June, the Zinjibar town souk in Abyan province felt like an ancient cemetery. Footsteps were the only sound to be heard, and those who dared to brave the minefield left by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula did so with caution.

Today, the souk is vibrant like any other local souk in Yemen. Boisterous sellers and buyers passionately negotiate prices on every imaginable ware and crowds overflowing from the stalls make it very difficult to get by.

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