By IRNA,
Berlin : Germany’s army is still training Yemeni officers despite the ongoing political chaos and violence in the Arab country, the Hamburg-based weekly news magazine Der Spiegel reported Sunday.
As part of Berlin’s ‘military training assistance’ program for Yemen, four officers and five medics are being trained, the parliamentary state secretary to the defense minister, Thomas Kossendey told the parliament.
He justified the controversial training mission, claiming it was directed at promoting ‘stability and crisis prevention.’
Meanwhile, the defense spokesman of the opposition Greens, Omid Nouripour criticized the program, saying Germany was training Yemeni soldiers who could one day shoot their own people.
Yemen is reportedly on the verge of a civil war following weeks of fierce clashes between opposition members and security forces loyal to western-backed President Ali Abdullah Saleh who continues to refuse to step down.
Saleh who is currently in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, has also defied international calls to sign an agreement to resign in exchange for immunity from prosecution.