Yemen's Saleh in Ethiopia, foreign ministry says

The Associated Press

February 24, 2012

Ethiopia's foreign ministry spokesman says the outgoing president of Yemen is in the east African country.

Dina Mufti said Friday that Ali Abdullah Saleh arrived in Ethiopia Thursday night. Mufti said he "doubts" Saleh will fly on to Yemen.

Yemen on Tuesday voted to replace Saleh with Vice President Abed Rabo Mansour Hadi, who is expected to be sworn in Saturday. He takes over after months of uncertainty over whether Saleh would step down in the face of popular protests that plunged Yemen into crisis.

Before arriving in Ethiopia, Saleh spent more than three weeks in the U.S. for medical treatment from wounds sustained in a June assassination attempt. The 69-year-old Saleh, Yemen's ruler for 33 years, has pledged to attend his successor's inauguration.