"Opposition to the deal is also strong in other regions. Southern Yemen, a separate country before unification with the more populous north in 1991, has been increasingly racked by separatist unrest. Despite being a southerner himself, Mr Hadi is disliked for his commanding role in a 1994 war that saw the north violently crush a bid for renewed southern independence. Not surprisingly, voter turnout across the south was poor—albeit this was partly due to armed assaults on polling stations, such as one in the port city of Aden that killed several soldiers and sent foreign election-observers scampering for cover. The election was also widely ignored in the far north, where a rebel group known as the Houthis has taken advantage of the year’s unrest to strengthen its grip."