Italy closes Yemen embassy
The move follows similar decisions earlier this week by Britain, France and the United States
ROME (AFP) - Italy has temporarily closed its embassy in Yemen and is pulling its staff out because of ongoing violence in the troubled country, the foreign ministry said Friday.
The move follows similar decisions earlier this week by Britain, France and the United States regarding their embassies in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital.
"We hope mediation efforts led by the UN envoy Jamal Benomar will create security conditions allowing a return of diplomatic personnel to Yemen as soon as possible," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that Yemen was "collapsing before our eyes" towards civil war.
