That said, there are a few recent events of which we can be sure. In 2012, in the wake of the Arab Spring that spread across the Middle East, long-time Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced out of office. His successor, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, had his work cut out: a separatist movement in the south of the country, terrorist attacks, and dire poverty, to name just a few of the problems he faced.