SANAA, Yemen, July 19 (UPI) -- Houthi rebels in the north of Yemen said they supported an effort outlined by the Yemeni president to form a unity government, a statement said.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh during the weekend signed an agreement with opposition leaders in an effort to form a unity government.
The agreement calls for stronger enforcement of a February 2009 measure for national dialogue. The weekend agreement also recommends postponing parliamentary elections to April in order to restructure the government and amend the Yemeni constitution.
The Shiite rebel group in a statement signed by its leader Abdul Malek al-Houthi said it was satisfied with the latest political development.
The accord will define the course for "a comprehensive dialogue that excludes no one," London's Middle East Online news agency quoted the statement as saying.
Yemen launched a scorched-earth campaign in August to take on Houthi rebels in the north. A formal cease-fire has sputtered since early this year.
Yemen is troubled by the Shiite insurgency, a looming al-Qaida presence and a secessionist movement in the south of the country.
In recent months, southern demands for secession have swelled and anti-government protests have become more violent. Dozens of people have been killed or wounded and roughly 200 secessionists have been imprisoned.
