Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi arrived in the southern port city of Aden on his first visit there since he took office last year, after clashes escalated in recent days, a government official told Xinhua Sunday.

Hadi, along with a number of government officials arrived in Aden on Saturday night to attend a meeting with local council members and discuss security situation following recent demonstrations in the city, the local official said on condition of anonymity.

"Hadi will visit a number of districts in Aden. He is going to solve problems, particularly those that are related to secessionists," the government source added.

Aden has witnessed this month clashes between supporters of the secessionist Southern Movement and security forces along with pro- government Islamist Islah Party, which have left more than 10 people dead.

On Saturday, Yemeni police troops clashed with separatist activists who called for a general strike against the government authorities in Aden and several southern provinces.

Hadi has called for separatist groups in the country's southern regions to take part in a planned reconciliation national dialogue to settle disputes and promised to compensate them.

Separatist sentiment escalated after northern troops overran southern regions following a four-month civil war in 1994. Southerners complain of being economically and politically marginalized and discriminated.

Hadi announced that the government will hold the national dialogue on March 18 to solve disputes among political factions and pave the way for amending the constitution and preparing for presidential elections in 2014. Endi

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