Thousands march in Aden

ADEN: Thousands of Yemenis marched through Aden Thursday demanding renewed independence for the south after separatist fighters drove unionist forces out of its former capital in deadly fighting last week.

The demonstrators rallied in the Khormaksar district in the heart of the sprawling port city, waving southern flags and banners proclaiming loyalty to the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). Organisers said many of the demonstrators had travelled into the city from neighbouring southern provinces to add their voice to the calls for secession.

South Yemen was an independent country until it merged with the north in 1990. An armed secession bid four years later ended in occupation by northern forces, which provoked resentments that persist to this day.

Separatist forces trained and equipped by the United Arab Emirates seized the presidential palace in Aden on Saturday following days of clashes with rival.