World IN BRIEF : YEMEN : Cease-Fire Provides for United Military

Feuding Yemeni leaders signed a new cease-fire accord providing for the integration of northern and southern troops in a bid to save the country’s almost 4-year-old union and end the threat of civil war. Previous agreements have failed to stop the conflict between the Red Sea nation’s northern and southern regions, but there were no reports of fighting after the truce took effect at midafternoon. The latest round of fighting erupted last Monday, a day after the signing of a reconciliation agreement. Col. Ali Salah, a northern army officer leading a joint military commission, said the new accord was signed by President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Vice President Ali Salim Bidh. Saleh led conservative North Yemen and Bidh headed Marxist South Yemen when they merged in May, 1990.