US welcomes Yemen's leadership shakeup as president cedes power
The exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's transfer of power to a newly formed presidential council comes days after a nationwide cease-fire took hold in Yemen.
The United States on Thursday said it welcomed the announcement from Yemen’s exiled president that he was ceding his powers to a new leadership council at a pivotal moment in the impoverished country’s grueling civil war.
"We urge the Presidential Leadership Council to abide by the UN-negotiated truce and cooperate with comprehensive UN-led efforts to end the conflict," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. "Yemenis must have the opportunity to determine the future of their country."
