Yemen's Saleh to seek exile in Ethiopia

Aides to Ali Abdullah Saleh said on Monday that the ousted Yemeni president plans to go into exile in Ethiopia, as pressures mounted on him to depart the country for fear of sparking new cycles of violence.

The aides said that the former president will leave Yemen within two days along with some of his family members.

A diplomat in Sanaa confirmed that arrangements had been made for Saleh's departure for Ethiopia. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

On Saturday, newly inaugurated President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi was sworn in as president as part of a power-transfer deal that gave Saleh immunity from prosecution in exchange for stepping down. The deal aims to end a year of turmoil that left hundreds of protesters dead.

Saleh slipped out of signing the accord for the power handover three times before finally agreeing to it.

His opponents fear that if he remains in the country he will be able to exert control through his powerful network of well-placed family members and allies.

Saleh left Yemen in June after being injured in a rocket attack on his palace. He received medical treatment in neighboring Saudi Arabia for three months.

The United States, which fears extension of al-Qaida's influence there, had hoped he would remain in the Gulf. But the Yemeni leader returned home and violence worsened anew.

Three weeks ago Saleh went to the US for more medical treatment, and again it was hoped that he would remain abroad. But he returned on Saturday for Hadi's inauguration.