Ex-president says he's still the ruler

The Yemeni leader who resigned the presidency last month and fled to the country's south on Saturday said all actions taken since Shiite rebels stormed the capital, Sanaa, in September are illegitimate, hinting that he will seek to reclaim his power and office.

The move exacerbates worries over a regional breakup and further instability in the country, the Arab world's poorest and home to a powerful al-Qaida affiliate. The rebels, known as Houthis, control Sanaa and several major cities, while the south is largely free from their rule, and officials there have rejected the rebel takeover amid talk of a potential secession.

In a statement signed as "president of the republic" from the southern port city of Aden, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi called for a national dialogue there or in the city of Taiz, another area not under Houthi control, and demanded the rebels leave Sanaa.