UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- The U.N. secretary-general called on Yemeni leaders to ensure the country's political landscape was inclusive after a unity government was formed.
Yemeni Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and Prime Minister Mohammed Basindwa last weekend ushered in a government of national unity.
Hadi was given authority after Ali Abdullah Saleh signed a political transition deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the political development as a milestone for Yemen, which has been locked in political conflict since the beginning of the year.
All sides, Ban said in a statement, must work together on an inclusive political transition process, "giving all Yemenis including women and youth, a true stake in the country's future."
Meanwhile, security officials in Yemen said 15 suspected members of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula tunneled out of a prison in Sanaa, CNN International reports.
Security forces put up checkpoints across the capital following the prison break.
U.S. counter-terrorism officials assessing the threat posed by al-Qaida following the May death of Osama bin Laden said it's the regional affiliates like AQAP that pose a significant threat to national interests.
AQAP was tied to several militant attacks in the United States, including a Nov. 5, 2009, shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.
