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A short lived ceasefire in Yemen ended today when government forces killed protestors in the capital city of Sanaa, at the same time as hundreds of thousands mourned the deaths of protestors slain in previous days. CNN reports 500,000 opposition supporters attended funerals for 30 of the over 80 people killed during three days of battles waged with heavy artillery and mortar fire. Fighting began on Sunday largely between factions opposed to Yemen’s current regime and government forces. Late yesterday a cease fire was brokered by Vice President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and international representatives, bringing temporary relief to civilians and protestors in cities around the Arab world’s poorest nation. Last Friday tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets demanding that President Ali Abdullah Saleh resign, a goal the popular movement has pushed since the uprising was sparked in late January. The LA Times reports the largely non-violent movement has been overshadowed by the violent bids for power between President Saleh’s son, a military general, and a very wealthy tribal leader. President Saleh left Yemen for Saudi Arabia in June after he was injured when his compound was shelled. He has retained his post even while indicating on a few occasions that he would step-down. On Friday the Associated Press reported that even as the US announced a deal with Saleh would be made within a week, he was unhappy with the proposal drafted by the Gulf Cooperation Council. Two days later loyalists engaged in what the Red Cross called “unprecedented levels of violence.” The envoy currently negotiating a transfer of power includes United Nations members, US and British representatives, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

GUEST: Stephen Zunes, is a professor of politics and chair of Middle Eastern studies at the University of San Francisco and serves as a contributing editor of Tikkun. His most recent book, co-authored with Jacob Mundy, is Western Sahara: War, Nationalism, and Conflict Irresolution