ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION
Large crowds turned out in the northwestern province of Saada on Saturday (February 4) during a ceremony to mark the birthday of Prophet Mohammad, to hear the Houthi rebel leader speak.
Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi heads the Shi'ite Muslim rebel group and gathered his people in a show of force ahead of presidential elections later this month.
The Houthis, who seek autonomy for their region in the north, are yet to enter negotiations or sign a deal with the new government.
They were left empty-handed after President Ali Abdullah Saleh's exit where power was transferred to an opposition led-government.
North and south Yemen were only united in 1990 and after Saleh's forces crushed a southern successionist campaign four years later.