Minister of planning in Saudi-backed government resigns week after appointment

ADEN, Aug. 01 (YPA) – Badr Basalma, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation in the Saudi-backed government, announced his resignation on Saturday, nearly a week after his appointment.

In a brief statement published on his social media accounts, Basalma described his resignation as a “warning sign and an outcry addressed to the Presidential Leadership Council.”

Observers view Basalma’s resignation as reflecting a widening rift among Saudi-backed factions in southern and eastern Yemen. In his statement, Basalma urged leaders to “work in a spirit of teamwork and step away from narrow divisions and calculations.”

The ministerial appointments issued last week by Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, covered three cabinet portfolios and sparked widespread criticism. The appointment of Afrah Al-Zouba as Minister of Foreign Affairs faced strong reservations from influential political movements, notably the Islah Party, which argued that the appointments bypassed agreed-upon political balances.

YPA