British, French embassies in Yemen reopen to public

The British embassy in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a has reopened after it was shut down allegedly over fears of an attack by al-Qaeda but its consular and visa sections remain closed.

“Urgent economic and political reforms are the only long-term solution to Yemen’s problems, but continued instability distracts from the government’s short-term efforts to address these priorities. As a result of ongoing security concerns the British embassy closed earlier this week on a precautionary basis for two days. The embassy is now open and staff is back at work,” British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told Parliament on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the French embassy in the Yemeni capital Sana’a was reopened to the public on Wednesday after a temporary closure for security reasons.

The embassy was closed on Monday, a day after the US and British embassies closed after alleged threats from the local branch of al-Qaeda.