Aden Central Bank Gets International Support as Hadi Speaks of Rebel Violations

Jeddah, Riyadh-Yemen’s President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi has held two separate meetings with U.S. and British representatives in New York concerning the issue of Yemen’s Central Bank, and is expected to hold important talks on Wednesday with officials from the International Monetary Fundy (IMF), the newly appointed Governor of Yemen’s Central Bank Mansar al-Kaiti told Asharq Al-Awsat.

According to al-Kaiti, the two meetings were preparatory. During Wednesday’s talks, Hadi is expected to speak about the violations committed by Houthis and former president Ali Abdullah Saleh since they placed their hands on the Central Bank at the start of the coup, al-Kaiti said.

Meanwhile, the IMF announced its readiness to support Yemen in its fields of expertise. IMF Mission Chief Albert Jaeger told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The decision to move Yemen’s Central Bank to Aden has created a new situation that might bring some challenges facing the continuity of offering public goods to all Yemenis.”

Fighting in Yemen started in 2014 when Hadi was sent into exile after Saleh and his Houthi supporters seized the capital city of Sana’a.

On Sunday, Hadi issued a directive to move the headquarters of the country’s Central Bank from Sana’a to Aden, and appointed former Finance Minister al-Kaiti as head of the bank after sacking Dr. Mohammed bin Hamam.

In a telephone conversation with Asharq Al-Awsat, al-Kaiti said Yemen coordinated with the Quartet before taking the decision to move the Central Bank to Aden and before it established its administrative council.

He said the coordination was conducted during a meeting in Jeddah last month, in the presence of the foreign ministers of the Quartet – Saudi Arabia, UAE, U.S., and Britain.

A British Foreign Ministry spokesperson told Asharq Al-Awsat his country understands the decision taken by Hadi regarding moving the bank to Aden.

“We will carefully monitor the repercussions of this decision, particularly at the economic and humanitarian levels,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, a delegation from the international organization Doctors Without Borders praised “the great services provided by King Salman Center for Relief and humanitarian action in Yemen at all levels.”

Head of the Emergency Unit in the organization Teresa San Krastofl said: “We are interested in Yemeni affairs and appreciate the great efforts of King Salman Centre for relief and humanitarian action, and its support for Yemen, and we hope that our cooperation with the Center continues.”

Aden Central Bank Gets International Support as Hadi Speaks of Rebel Violations