| YEMEN Republic of Yemen Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah Joined United Nations: 30 September 1947 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 12/14/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Sanaa
23,495,361 (July 2010 est.)
Ali Muhammad Mujawwar
Prime Minister since 31 March 2007
Prime Minister since 31 March 2007
President elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election
last held 20 September 2006; Vice President appointed by the
president;
Next scheduled election: September 2013
last held 20 September 2006; Vice President appointed by the
president;
Next scheduled election: September 2013
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
Prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the
president
Next scheduled election: September 2013
president
Next scheduled election: September 2013
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans
| RELIGIONS |
Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Republic with 19 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Legal system is based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common
law, and local tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: President elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 20 September 2006 (next to be held in September
2013); vice president appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
Legislative: Bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats; members appointed by the president) and a House of
Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: last held on 27 April 2003 (scheduled April 2009 election postponed for two years)
Judicial: Supreme Court
law, and local tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: President elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 20 September 2006 (next to be held in September
2013); vice president appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
Legislative: Bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats; members appointed by the president) and a House of
Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: last held on 27 April 2003 (scheduled April 2009 election postponed for two years)
Judicial: Supreme Court
| LANGUAGES |
Arabic
| BRIEF HISTORY |
Mesopotamia became Semitic by 2300BC, before that it was Sumerian. Syria Amorites were under Sumerian influence, before
being Assimilated by the Semites 2300BC. Coastal North Africa became Semitic by the 800BC via the Phoenicians, before that it
was Berber. East Africa first Semitic nation Dam't was a Yemeni settlement. The Arabian Peninsula with modern Yemen known as
the South in old Semitic is the only region in the world that is considered the homeland of the Semites. The Qahtani Semites
remained dominant in Yemen from 2300BC to 800BC, but little is known about this era because the Semites of the South were
separated by the vast Arabian desert from Mesopotamian Semites and they lacked any type of script to record their history.
However, it is known that they kept an active along trade along the Red Sea coasts. Which led to contact with the Phoenicians and
from them the Southern Semites adopted their Script in 800BC. Around 800BC the Southern Semites will began recording their
history. During the rule of the Sabaeans, 8th century BC to 275 CE, trade and agriculture flourished generating much wealth and
prosperity. The Sabaean kingdom is located in what is now the Aseer region in southwestern Yemen, and its capital, Ma'rib, is
located near what is now Yemen's modern capital, Sana'a. During Sabaean rule, Yemen was called "Arabia Felix" by the Romans
who were impressed by its wealth and prosperity. During the 8th and 7th century BCE, there was a close contact of cultures
between the Kingdom of Dʿmt in northern Ethiopia and Eritrea and Saba'. The first known inscriptions of the Kingdom of
Hadramaut are from the 8th century BCE. Qataban, which lasted from the 4th century BCE to 200 CE, was one of the ancient
Yemeni kingdoms which thrived in the Baihan valley. During Minaean rule the capital was at Karna (now known as Sadah). It was
the first of the South Arabian kingdoms to end, and the Minaic language died around 100 CE. The Himyarites had united
Southwestern Arabia, controlling the Red Sea as well as the coasts of the Gulf of Aden. They traded from the port of al-Muza on
the Red Sea. Dhu Nuwas, a Himyarite king, changed the state religion to Judaism in the beginning of the 6th century and began to
massacre the Christians. Around 517/8, a Jewish king called Yusuf Asar Yathar (also known as Dhu Nuwas) usurped the kingship
of Himyar from Ma`adkarib Ya`fur. The Persian king Khosrau I, sent troops under the command of Vahriz, who helped Saif bin
Dhi Yazan to drive the Ethiopian Aksumites out of Yemen. Southern Arabia became a Persian dominion under a Yemenite vassal
and thus came within the sphere of influence of the Sassanid Empire. Later another army was sent to Yemen, and in 597/8 Southern
Arabia became a province of the Sassanid Empire under a Persian satrap. Islam came to Yemen around 630, during Muhammad's
lifetime. At that time the Persian governor Badhan was ruling. Thereafter Yemen was ruled as part of Arab-Islamic caliphates, and
Yemen became a province in the Islamic empire. The former North Yemen came under control of Imams of various dynasties
usually of the Zaidi sect, who established a theocratic political structure that survived until modern times. In 897, a Zaidi ruler,
Yahya al-Hadi ila'l Haqq, founded a line of Imams, whose Shiite dynasty survived until the second half of the 20th century.
Nevertheless, Yemen's medieval history is a tangled chronicle of contesting local Imams. The Fatimids of Egypt helped the Isma'ilis
maintain dominance in the 11th century. Saladin (Salah ad-Din) annexed Yemen in 1173. The Rasulid dynasty (Kurdish and Turkish
in origin) ruled Yemen, with Zabid as its capital, from about 1230 to the 15th century. In 1516, the Mamluks of Egypt annexed
Yemen; but in the following year, the Mamluk governor surrendered to the Ottomans, and Turkish armies subsequently overran the
country. They were challenged by the Zaidi Imam, Qasim the Great (r.1597–1620), and were expelled from the interior around
1630. From then until the 19th century, the Ottomans retained control only of isolated coastal areas, while the highlands generally
were ruled by the Zaidi Imams. As the Zaydi Imamate collapsed in the 19th century due to internal division, the Ottomans moved
south along the west coast of Arabia back into northern Yemen in the 1830's, and eventually even took San‘a’ making it the
Yemeni district capital in 1872. The Ottomans were aided by the adoption of Crimean War modern weapons. Meanwhile the
British interest in reducing piracy on British merchants lead to their creating a protectorate over the town of Aden, in the south in
1839, and adding the surrounding lands over the following years. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the increased traffic
on the Red Sea route to India increased the military and commercial importance of Yemen. The Ottomans and the British eventually
established a de facto border between north and south Yemen, which was formalized in a treaty in 1904. However the interior
boundaries were never clearly established. However the presence of the Ottomans, and to a lesser extent the British, allowed the
Zaydi Imamate to rebuild against a common enemy. Guerilla warfare and banditry erupted into the full rebellion of the Zaydi tribes in
1905. North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and became a republic in 1962. The British, who had set
up a protective area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became South Yemen. In
1970, the southern government adopted a Communist governmental system. The two countries were formally united as the Republic
of Yemen on May 22, 1990. During the 1960s, the British sought to incorporate all of the Aden Protectorate territories into the
Federation. On 18 January 1963, the Colony of Aden was incorporated against the wishes of much of the city's populace as the
State of Aden and the Federation was renamed the Federation of South Arabia. Several more states subsequently joined the
Federation and the remaining states that declined to join, mainly in Hadhramaut, formed the Protectorate of South Arabia. In 1963
fighting between Egyptian forces and British-led Saudi-financed guerrillas in the Yemen Arab Republic spread to South Arabia with
the formation of the National Liberation Front (NLF), who hoped to force the British out of South Arabia. The Federation of South
Arabia collapsed and Southern Yemen became independent as the People's Republic of South Yemen. The NLF changed the
country's name on 1 December 1970 to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY). In the PDRY, all political parties
were amalgamated into the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), which became the only legal party. The PDRY established close ties with
the Soviet Union, People's Republic of China, Cuba, and radical Palestinians. Unlike East and West Germany, the two Yemens
remained relatively friendly, though relations were often strained. In 1972 it was declared unification would eventually occur
However, these plans were put on hold in 1979, and war was only prevented by an Arab League intervention. In 1980, PDRY
president Abdul Fattah Ismail resigned and went into exile. His successor, Ali Nasir Muhammad, took a less interventionist stance
toward both North Yemen and neighbouring Oman. On January 13, 1986, a violent struggle began in Aden between Ali Nasir's
supporters and supporters of the returned Ismail, who wanted power back. Fighting lasted for more than a month and resulted in
thousands of casualties, Ali Nasir's ouster, and Ismail's death. Some 60,000 people, including the deposed Ali Nasir, fled to the
YAR. In November 1989, the leaders of the YAR (Ali Abdullah Saleh) and the PDRY (Ali Salim al-Biedh) agreed on a draft unity
constitution originally drawn up in 1981. The Republic of Yemen (ROY) was declared on 22 May 1990 with Saleh becoming
President and al-Baidh Vice President. For the first time in centuries, much of Greater Yemen was politically united. A 30-month
transitional period for completing the unification of the two political and economic systems was set. A unity constitution was agreed
upon in May 1990 and ratified by the populace in May 1991. It affirmed Yemen's commitment to free elections, a multiparty
political system, the right to own private property, equality under the law, and respect of basic human rights. Haydar Abu Bakr Al-
Attas, the former PDRY Prime Minister continued to serve as the ROY Prime Minister, but his government was ineffective due to
political infighting. Continuous negotiations between northern and southern leaders resulted in the signing of the document of pledge
and accord in Amman, Jordan on 20 February 1994. Despite this, clashes intensified until civil war broke out in early May 1994. In
1994, amendments to the unity constitution eliminated the presidential council. President Ali Abdallah Salih was elected by
Parliament on 1 October 1994 to a 5-year term. The constitution provides that henceforth the President will be elected by popular
vote from at least two candidates selected by the legislature. Yemen held its first direct presidential elections in September 1999,
electing President Ali Abdallah Salih to a 5-year term in what were generally considered free and fair elections. On 20 February
2001, a new constitutional amendment created a bicameral legislature, the Assembly of Representatives of Yemen, consisting of a
Shura Council and a House of Representatives.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Yemen
being Assimilated by the Semites 2300BC. Coastal North Africa became Semitic by the 800BC via the Phoenicians, before that it
was Berber. East Africa first Semitic nation Dam't was a Yemeni settlement. The Arabian Peninsula with modern Yemen known as
the South in old Semitic is the only region in the world that is considered the homeland of the Semites. The Qahtani Semites
remained dominant in Yemen from 2300BC to 800BC, but little is known about this era because the Semites of the South were
separated by the vast Arabian desert from Mesopotamian Semites and they lacked any type of script to record their history.
However, it is known that they kept an active along trade along the Red Sea coasts. Which led to contact with the Phoenicians and
from them the Southern Semites adopted their Script in 800BC. Around 800BC the Southern Semites will began recording their
history. During the rule of the Sabaeans, 8th century BC to 275 CE, trade and agriculture flourished generating much wealth and
prosperity. The Sabaean kingdom is located in what is now the Aseer region in southwestern Yemen, and its capital, Ma'rib, is
located near what is now Yemen's modern capital, Sana'a. During Sabaean rule, Yemen was called "Arabia Felix" by the Romans
who were impressed by its wealth and prosperity. During the 8th and 7th century BCE, there was a close contact of cultures
between the Kingdom of Dʿmt in northern Ethiopia and Eritrea and Saba'. The first known inscriptions of the Kingdom of
Hadramaut are from the 8th century BCE. Qataban, which lasted from the 4th century BCE to 200 CE, was one of the ancient
Yemeni kingdoms which thrived in the Baihan valley. During Minaean rule the capital was at Karna (now known as Sadah). It was
the first of the South Arabian kingdoms to end, and the Minaic language died around 100 CE. The Himyarites had united
Southwestern Arabia, controlling the Red Sea as well as the coasts of the Gulf of Aden. They traded from the port of al-Muza on
the Red Sea. Dhu Nuwas, a Himyarite king, changed the state religion to Judaism in the beginning of the 6th century and began to
massacre the Christians. Around 517/8, a Jewish king called Yusuf Asar Yathar (also known as Dhu Nuwas) usurped the kingship
of Himyar from Ma`adkarib Ya`fur. The Persian king Khosrau I, sent troops under the command of Vahriz, who helped Saif bin
Dhi Yazan to drive the Ethiopian Aksumites out of Yemen. Southern Arabia became a Persian dominion under a Yemenite vassal
and thus came within the sphere of influence of the Sassanid Empire. Later another army was sent to Yemen, and in 597/8 Southern
Arabia became a province of the Sassanid Empire under a Persian satrap. Islam came to Yemen around 630, during Muhammad's
lifetime. At that time the Persian governor Badhan was ruling. Thereafter Yemen was ruled as part of Arab-Islamic caliphates, and
Yemen became a province in the Islamic empire. The former North Yemen came under control of Imams of various dynasties
usually of the Zaidi sect, who established a theocratic political structure that survived until modern times. In 897, a Zaidi ruler,
Yahya al-Hadi ila'l Haqq, founded a line of Imams, whose Shiite dynasty survived until the second half of the 20th century.
Nevertheless, Yemen's medieval history is a tangled chronicle of contesting local Imams. The Fatimids of Egypt helped the Isma'ilis
maintain dominance in the 11th century. Saladin (Salah ad-Din) annexed Yemen in 1173. The Rasulid dynasty (Kurdish and Turkish
in origin) ruled Yemen, with Zabid as its capital, from about 1230 to the 15th century. In 1516, the Mamluks of Egypt annexed
Yemen; but in the following year, the Mamluk governor surrendered to the Ottomans, and Turkish armies subsequently overran the
country. They were challenged by the Zaidi Imam, Qasim the Great (r.1597–1620), and were expelled from the interior around
1630. From then until the 19th century, the Ottomans retained control only of isolated coastal areas, while the highlands generally
were ruled by the Zaidi Imams. As the Zaydi Imamate collapsed in the 19th century due to internal division, the Ottomans moved
south along the west coast of Arabia back into northern Yemen in the 1830's, and eventually even took San‘a’ making it the
Yemeni district capital in 1872. The Ottomans were aided by the adoption of Crimean War modern weapons. Meanwhile the
British interest in reducing piracy on British merchants lead to their creating a protectorate over the town of Aden, in the south in
1839, and adding the surrounding lands over the following years. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the increased traffic
on the Red Sea route to India increased the military and commercial importance of Yemen. The Ottomans and the British eventually
established a de facto border between north and south Yemen, which was formalized in a treaty in 1904. However the interior
boundaries were never clearly established. However the presence of the Ottomans, and to a lesser extent the British, allowed the
Zaydi Imamate to rebuild against a common enemy. Guerilla warfare and banditry erupted into the full rebellion of the Zaydi tribes in
1905. North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and became a republic in 1962. The British, who had set
up a protective area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became South Yemen. In
1970, the southern government adopted a Communist governmental system. The two countries were formally united as the Republic
of Yemen on May 22, 1990. During the 1960s, the British sought to incorporate all of the Aden Protectorate territories into the
Federation. On 18 January 1963, the Colony of Aden was incorporated against the wishes of much of the city's populace as the
State of Aden and the Federation was renamed the Federation of South Arabia. Several more states subsequently joined the
Federation and the remaining states that declined to join, mainly in Hadhramaut, formed the Protectorate of South Arabia. In 1963
fighting between Egyptian forces and British-led Saudi-financed guerrillas in the Yemen Arab Republic spread to South Arabia with
the formation of the National Liberation Front (NLF), who hoped to force the British out of South Arabia. The Federation of South
Arabia collapsed and Southern Yemen became independent as the People's Republic of South Yemen. The NLF changed the
country's name on 1 December 1970 to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY). In the PDRY, all political parties
were amalgamated into the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), which became the only legal party. The PDRY established close ties with
the Soviet Union, People's Republic of China, Cuba, and radical Palestinians. Unlike East and West Germany, the two Yemens
remained relatively friendly, though relations were often strained. In 1972 it was declared unification would eventually occur
However, these plans were put on hold in 1979, and war was only prevented by an Arab League intervention. In 1980, PDRY
president Abdul Fattah Ismail resigned and went into exile. His successor, Ali Nasir Muhammad, took a less interventionist stance
toward both North Yemen and neighbouring Oman. On January 13, 1986, a violent struggle began in Aden between Ali Nasir's
supporters and supporters of the returned Ismail, who wanted power back. Fighting lasted for more than a month and resulted in
thousands of casualties, Ali Nasir's ouster, and Ismail's death. Some 60,000 people, including the deposed Ali Nasir, fled to the
YAR. In November 1989, the leaders of the YAR (Ali Abdullah Saleh) and the PDRY (Ali Salim al-Biedh) agreed on a draft unity
constitution originally drawn up in 1981. The Republic of Yemen (ROY) was declared on 22 May 1990 with Saleh becoming
President and al-Baidh Vice President. For the first time in centuries, much of Greater Yemen was politically united. A 30-month
transitional period for completing the unification of the two political and economic systems was set. A unity constitution was agreed
upon in May 1990 and ratified by the populace in May 1991. It affirmed Yemen's commitment to free elections, a multiparty
political system, the right to own private property, equality under the law, and respect of basic human rights. Haydar Abu Bakr Al-
Attas, the former PDRY Prime Minister continued to serve as the ROY Prime Minister, but his government was ineffective due to
political infighting. Continuous negotiations between northern and southern leaders resulted in the signing of the document of pledge
and accord in Amman, Jordan on 20 February 1994. Despite this, clashes intensified until civil war broke out in early May 1994. In
1994, amendments to the unity constitution eliminated the presidential council. President Ali Abdallah Salih was elected by
Parliament on 1 October 1994 to a 5-year term. The constitution provides that henceforth the President will be elected by popular
vote from at least two candidates selected by the legislature. Yemen held its first direct presidential elections in September 1999,
electing President Ali Abdallah Salih to a 5-year term in what were generally considered free and fair elections. On 20 February
2001, a new constitutional amendment created a bicameral legislature, the Assembly of Representatives of Yemen, consisting of a
Shura Council and a House of Representatives.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Yemen
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
Yemen is a low income country that is highly dependent on declining oil resources for revenue. Petroleum accounts for roughly 25%
of GDP and 70% of government revenue. Annual real GDP growth has averaged 3-4% since 2000. Yemen has been largely
unaffected by and insulated from the effects of the global economic crisis because its financial system is underdeveloped and not
well integrated into the international community, but the drop in oil prices since mid-2008 slashed government oil revenues in 2009
by more than 50%, as compared to 2008. Yemen has tried to counter the effects of its declining oil resources by diversifying its
economy through an economic reform program initiated in 2006 that is designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and
foreign investment. In October 2009, Yemen exported its first liquefied natural gas as part of this diversification effort. The Yemen
government in August reaffirmed its commitment to reforms in a plan detailing the country's top ten development priorities. Despite
these ambitious plans, Yemen faces difficult long term challenges, including declining water resources and a high population growth
rate.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Yemen)
of GDP and 70% of government revenue. Annual real GDP growth has averaged 3-4% since 2000. Yemen has been largely
unaffected by and insulated from the effects of the global economic crisis because its financial system is underdeveloped and not
well integrated into the international community, but the drop in oil prices since mid-2008 slashed government oil revenues in 2009
by more than 50%, as compared to 2008. Yemen has tried to counter the effects of its declining oil resources by diversifying its
economy through an economic reform program initiated in 2006 that is designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and
foreign investment. In October 2009, Yemen exported its first liquefied natural gas as part of this diversification effort. The Yemen
government in August reaffirmed its commitment to reforms in a plan detailing the country's top ten development priorities. Despite
these ambitious plans, Yemen faces difficult long term challenges, including declining water resources and a high population growth
rate.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Yemen)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
Politics of Yemen takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Yemen
is both head of state and head of government. Although it is notionally a pluriform multi-party system, in reality it is completely
dominated by one party, the General People's Congress, and has been since unification. Executive power is exercised by the
government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Judiciary is theoretically independent but in
reality it is prone to interference from the executive branch. Yemen is a republic with a bicameral legislature. Under the constitution,
an elected president, an elected 301-seat House of Representatives, and an appointed 111-member Shura Council share power.
The president is head of state, and the prime minister is head of government. The constitution provides that the president be elected
by popular vote from at least two candidates endorsed by Parliament; the prime minister is appointed by the president. The
presidential term of office is 7 years, and the parliamentary term of elected office is 6 years. Suffrage is universal over 18.
In April 2003 parliamentary elections, the General People's Congress (GPC) maintained an absolute majority. International
observers described the elections as "another significant step forward on Yemen’s path toward democracy; however, sustained and
forceful efforts must be undertaken to remedy critical flaws in the country’s election and political processes." There were some
problems with underage voting, confiscation of ballot boxes, voter intimidation, and election-related violence; moreover, the political
opposition in Yemen has little access to the media, since most outlets are owned or otherwise controlled by the government.
Formal government authority is centralized in the capital city of Sanaa. Yemen’s Local Authority Law decentralized authority by
establishing locally elected district and governorate councils (last elected in September 2006), formerly headed by government-
appointed governors. After the September 2006 local and governorate council elections, President Salih announced various
measures that would enable future governors and directors of the councils to be directly elected. In May 2008, governors were
elected for the first time. However, because the ruling party, the General People’s Congress (GPC), continues to dominate the local
and governorate councils, the May 2008 elections retained this party’s executive authority over the governorates. In rural Yemen,
direct state control is weak, with tribal confederations acting as autonomous sub-states.[
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Yemen
is both head of state and head of government. Although it is notionally a pluriform multi-party system, in reality it is completely
dominated by one party, the General People's Congress, and has been since unification. Executive power is exercised by the
government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Judiciary is theoretically independent but in
reality it is prone to interference from the executive branch. Yemen is a republic with a bicameral legislature. Under the constitution,
an elected president, an elected 301-seat House of Representatives, and an appointed 111-member Shura Council share power.
The president is head of state, and the prime minister is head of government. The constitution provides that the president be elected
by popular vote from at least two candidates endorsed by Parliament; the prime minister is appointed by the president. The
presidential term of office is 7 years, and the parliamentary term of elected office is 6 years. Suffrage is universal over 18.
In April 2003 parliamentary elections, the General People's Congress (GPC) maintained an absolute majority. International
observers described the elections as "another significant step forward on Yemen’s path toward democracy; however, sustained and
forceful efforts must be undertaken to remedy critical flaws in the country’s election and political processes." There were some
problems with underage voting, confiscation of ballot boxes, voter intimidation, and election-related violence; moreover, the political
opposition in Yemen has little access to the media, since most outlets are owned or otherwise controlled by the government.
Formal government authority is centralized in the capital city of Sanaa. Yemen’s Local Authority Law decentralized authority by
establishing locally elected district and governorate councils (last elected in September 2006), formerly headed by government-
appointed governors. After the September 2006 local and governorate council elections, President Salih announced various
measures that would enable future governors and directors of the councils to be directly elected. In May 2008, governors were
elected for the first time. However, because the ruling party, the General People’s Congress (GPC), continues to dominate the local
and governorate councils, the May 2008 elections retained this party’s executive authority over the governorates. In rural Yemen,
direct state control is weak, with tribal confederations acting as autonomous sub-states.[
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Yemen
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem
illegal cross-border activities
illegal cross-border activities
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) |
Refugees (country of origin): 91,587 (Somalia) (2007)
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
None reported.
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Yemen
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Yemen, with a population of approximately 23 million, is a republic whose law provides for presidential election by popular vote from
among at least two candidates endorsed by parliament. In 2006 citizens reelected President Ali Abdullah Saleh to another seven-year term
in a generally open and competitive election, characterized by multiple problems with the voting process and the use of state resources
on behalf of the ruling party. Saleh has led the country since 1978. The president appoints the prime minister, who is the head of
government. The prime minister, in consultation with the president, selects the council of ministers. Although there are a number of
parties, President Saleh's General People's Congress (GPC) party dominated the government. Civilian authorities generally maintained
effective control of the security forces, although there were instances in which security forces acted independently of government
authority.
Serious human rights problems increased significantly during the year.
During an ongoing internal conflict that began in 2004, the government used heavy force in an attempt to suppress the Houthi rebels in
Saada. After 13 months of relative quiet, the sixth round of the conflict began in August with fighting and internally displaced persons
(IDPs) spreading across four governorates in the North. The government waged an extensive campaign of aerial bombardment in the
Saada and Amran governorates, destroying many villages and killing hundreds of civilians, according to press reports. Saudi Arabia
joined the fighting in November and continued to participate at year's end. Although the toll of the conflict during the year was unknown,
journalists estimated at year's end that hundreds of government troops had been killed and thousands wounded. The number of rebel
deaths reportedly was in the hundreds.
Click here to read more »
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Yemen, with a population of approximately 23 million, is a republic whose law provides for presidential election by popular vote from
among at least two candidates endorsed by parliament. In 2006 citizens reelected President Ali Abdullah Saleh to another seven-year term
in a generally open and competitive election, characterized by multiple problems with the voting process and the use of state resources
on behalf of the ruling party. Saleh has led the country since 1978. The president appoints the prime minister, who is the head of
government. The prime minister, in consultation with the president, selects the council of ministers. Although there are a number of
parties, President Saleh's General People's Congress (GPC) party dominated the government. Civilian authorities generally maintained
effective control of the security forces, although there were instances in which security forces acted independently of government
authority.
Serious human rights problems increased significantly during the year.
- Severe limitations on citizens' ability to change their government included corruption, fraudulent voter registration, administrative
weakness, and close political-military relationships at high levels. - The ruling and opposition parties denied opportunities for change when they agreed to postpone for two years April's
parliamentary elections after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on electoral reform. - There were reports of arbitrary and unlawful killings by government forces, politically motivated disappearances,and torture in
prisons. - Prison conditions were poor.
- Arbitrary arrest, prolonged detention, and other abuses increased, particularly with the ongoing protest movement in the southern
governorates, where authorities reportedly temporarily jailed thousands of southerners during the year. - The judiciary was weak, corrupt, and lacked independence.
- The government significantly increased restrictions on freedom of speech, press, and assembly, and there were reports of
government use of excessive force against demonstrators. - Journalists and opposition members were harassed and intimidated.
- Academic freedom was restricted, and official corruption was a problem.
- International humanitarian groups estimated that more than 175,400 persons were internally displaced as a result of the Saada
conflict. - Pervasive and significant discrimination against women continued, as did early marriage, child labor, and child trafficking.
- The right of workers to associate was also restricted.
During an ongoing internal conflict that began in 2004, the government used heavy force in an attempt to suppress the Houthi rebels in
Saada. After 13 months of relative quiet, the sixth round of the conflict began in August with fighting and internally displaced persons
(IDPs) spreading across four governorates in the North. The government waged an extensive campaign of aerial bombardment in the
Saada and Amran governorates, destroying many villages and killing hundreds of civilians, according to press reports. Saudi Arabia
joined the fighting in November and continued to participate at year's end. Although the toll of the conflict during the year was unknown,
journalists estimated at year's end that hundreds of government troops had been killed and thousands wounded. The number of rebel
deaths reportedly was in the hundreds.
Click here to read more »
Committee against Torture
Forty-fourth session
26 April-14 May 2010
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 19 of the Convention
Concluding observations of the Committee against Torture
Yemen
A. Introduction
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the second periodic report of Yemen, which, while generally following the Committee’s
guidelines for reporting, lacks statistical and practical information on the implementation of the provisions of the Convention and relevant
domestic legislation. However, the Committee regrets the delay in the submission of the report and the written responses to its list of
issues (CAT/C/YEM/Q/2) and that the State party has not responded to the letter of 21 April 2006, in which the Committee Rapporteur
on follow-up to the concluding observations requested further information on Yemen (CAT/C/CR/31/4 and Add.1).
B. Positive aspects
4. The Committee welcomes the fact that, in the period since the consideration of the initial report, the State party has ratified or acceded
to the following international instruments:
(a) The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol thereto, in 2009;
(b) The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, in 2007;
(c) The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography,
in 2004.
C. Principal subjects of concern and recommendations
Implementation of the Convention
6. The Committee notes with concern that the conclusions and recommendations it addressed to Yemen in 2003 have not been
sufficiently taken into consideration. The Committee stresses the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural
systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms. In its view, cultural and religious specificities may be taken
into consideration in order to develop adequate means to ensure respect for universal human rights, but they cannot jeopardize the
implementation of all provisions of the Convention or negate the rule of law. In this respect, the Committee notes with concern the
establishment, in 2008, of a commission to protect virtue and fight vice and the lack of information on the mandate and jurisdiction of
this commission, existing appeal procedures, and whether it is subject to review by ordinary judicial authorities (art. 2).
The State party should implement in good faith all recommendations addressed to it by the Committee and find ways to ensure that its
religious principles and laws are compatible with human rights and its obligations under the Convention. In this respect, the Committee
draws the attention of the State party to its general comment No. 2 on the implementation of article 2. The State party is requested to
provide information on the mandate of the new virtue and vice commission, its appeal procedures and whether it exercises a precise
jurisdiction in full conformity with the requirements of the Convention or is subject to review by ordinary judicial authorities.
Click here to read more »
Forty-fourth session
26 April-14 May 2010
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 19 of the Convention
Concluding observations of the Committee against Torture
Yemen
A. Introduction
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the second periodic report of Yemen, which, while generally following the Committee’s
guidelines for reporting, lacks statistical and practical information on the implementation of the provisions of the Convention and relevant
domestic legislation. However, the Committee regrets the delay in the submission of the report and the written responses to its list of
issues (CAT/C/YEM/Q/2) and that the State party has not responded to the letter of 21 April 2006, in which the Committee Rapporteur
on follow-up to the concluding observations requested further information on Yemen (CAT/C/CR/31/4 and Add.1).
B. Positive aspects
4. The Committee welcomes the fact that, in the period since the consideration of the initial report, the State party has ratified or acceded
to the following international instruments:
(a) The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol thereto, in 2009;
(b) The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, in 2007;
(c) The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography,
in 2004.
C. Principal subjects of concern and recommendations
Implementation of the Convention
6. The Committee notes with concern that the conclusions and recommendations it addressed to Yemen in 2003 have not been
sufficiently taken into consideration. The Committee stresses the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural
systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms. In its view, cultural and religious specificities may be taken
into consideration in order to develop adequate means to ensure respect for universal human rights, but they cannot jeopardize the
implementation of all provisions of the Convention or negate the rule of law. In this respect, the Committee notes with concern the
establishment, in 2008, of a commission to protect virtue and fight vice and the lack of information on the mandate and jurisdiction of
this commission, existing appeal procedures, and whether it is subject to review by ordinary judicial authorities (art. 2).
The State party should implement in good faith all recommendations addressed to it by the Committee and find ways to ensure that its
religious principles and laws are compatible with human rights and its obligations under the Convention. In this respect, the Committee
draws the attention of the State party to its general comment No. 2 on the implementation of article 2. The State party is requested to
provide information on the mandate of the new virtue and vice commission, its appeal procedures and whether it exercises a precise
jurisdiction in full conformity with the requirements of the Convention or is subject to review by ordinary judicial authorities.
Click here to read more »
Freedom In The World 2010 Report
Political Rights Score: 6
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Not Free
Status Change Explanation
Yemen’s political rights rating declined from 5 to 6 and its status from Partly Free to Not Free due to the two-year
postponement of parliamentary elections, the renewal of fighting between central authorities and al-Houthi rebels in the
north, and an escalation in violence between the government and opposition groups in the south.
Overview
Parliamentary elections scheduled for April 2009 were postponed by two years in February, after opposition parties threatened a boycott
to protest anticipated electoral manipulation by the government. In August, government forces and Houthi rebels in the northern province
of Saada renewed fighting in a five-year-old civil conflict. The violence escalated in November, when Saudi Arabia began bombing
Houthi positions inside Yemen in response to rebel attacks on Saudi military personnel near the border. Also during the year,
oppositionists and secessionists in southern Yemen continued public protests against their political marginalization, and dozens of people
were killed in clashes between the demonstrators and security forces. Militants associated with Al-Qaeda carried out several attacks in
2009, including assaults on South Korean tourists and officials.
Tensions between the government and the opposition escalated in late 2008, and the opposition Joint Meeting Parties—a coalition that
includes the Yemeni Socialist Party and Islah, an Islamist party—threatened to boycott parliamentary elections scheduled for April 2009.
The two sides agreed in February 2009 to postpone the vote by two years pending electoral reforms.
Fighting in the northern province of Saada, part of a five-year-old uprising by some members of Yemen’s large community of Zaidi
Shiite Muslims, resumed in August 2009 after a ceasefire that was declared a year earlier. In November, the rebels killed Saudi military
personnel near the Yemeni-Saudi border, prompting Saudi forces to carry out bombing raids on rebel positions inside Yemen. The Saudi
intervention came amid claims that the rebels—who were led by the family of slain Zaidi cleric Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi—were
receiving financial and material support from Iran, though those claims remained unproven. Thousands of people have been killed in the
conflict since 2004, and tens of thousands have been displaced.
Yemen also continued to suffer in 2009 from terrorist violence associated with Al-Qaeda. In March, a suicide bombing killed four South
Korean tourists in the southeastern town of Shibam. A second attack struck a convoy of South Korean officials sent to investigate the
deaths. Also in March, four policemen were killed in a gun battle with Islamist militants in Jaar.
Yemen is not an electoral democracy. The political system is dominated by the ruling GPC party, and there are few limits on the
authority of the executive branch. President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been serving continuously since 1978, when he became president of
North Yemen in a military coup.
Click here to read more »
Political Rights Score: 6
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Not Free
Status Change Explanation
Yemen’s political rights rating declined from 5 to 6 and its status from Partly Free to Not Free due to the two-year
postponement of parliamentary elections, the renewal of fighting between central authorities and al-Houthi rebels in the
north, and an escalation in violence between the government and opposition groups in the south.
Overview
Parliamentary elections scheduled for April 2009 were postponed by two years in February, after opposition parties threatened a boycott
to protest anticipated electoral manipulation by the government. In August, government forces and Houthi rebels in the northern province
of Saada renewed fighting in a five-year-old civil conflict. The violence escalated in November, when Saudi Arabia began bombing
Houthi positions inside Yemen in response to rebel attacks on Saudi military personnel near the border. Also during the year,
oppositionists and secessionists in southern Yemen continued public protests against their political marginalization, and dozens of people
were killed in clashes between the demonstrators and security forces. Militants associated with Al-Qaeda carried out several attacks in
2009, including assaults on South Korean tourists and officials.
Tensions between the government and the opposition escalated in late 2008, and the opposition Joint Meeting Parties—a coalition that
includes the Yemeni Socialist Party and Islah, an Islamist party—threatened to boycott parliamentary elections scheduled for April 2009.
The two sides agreed in February 2009 to postpone the vote by two years pending electoral reforms.
Fighting in the northern province of Saada, part of a five-year-old uprising by some members of Yemen’s large community of Zaidi
Shiite Muslims, resumed in August 2009 after a ceasefire that was declared a year earlier. In November, the rebels killed Saudi military
personnel near the Yemeni-Saudi border, prompting Saudi forces to carry out bombing raids on rebel positions inside Yemen. The Saudi
intervention came amid claims that the rebels—who were led by the family of slain Zaidi cleric Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi—were
receiving financial and material support from Iran, though those claims remained unproven. Thousands of people have been killed in the
conflict since 2004, and tens of thousands have been displaced.
Yemen also continued to suffer in 2009 from terrorist violence associated with Al-Qaeda. In March, a suicide bombing killed four South
Korean tourists in the southeastern town of Shibam. A second attack struck a convoy of South Korean officials sent to investigate the
deaths. Also in March, four policemen were killed in a gun battle with Islamist militants in Jaar.
Yemen is not an electoral democracy. The political system is dominated by the ruling GPC party, and there are few limits on the
authority of the executive branch. President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been serving continuously since 1978, when he became president of
North Yemen in a military coup.
Click here to read more »
02 December 2010
URGENT ACTION
Political activist detained incommunicado
A leader of a political opposition group in southern Yemen has been held in incommunicado detention since 9 November. Amnesty
International fears for Hassan Ba’oom’s health and is concerned that he may be held solely for the peaceful expression of his right to
freedom of expression and therefore a prisoner of conscience.
Hassan Ba’oom, who is in his seventies, was arrested by security force members on 9 November while he was in a car on his way from
Aden to al-Dali’, both cities in southern Yemen. He has been detained incommunicado since. He is believed to be held in the Political
Security prison in the capital, Sana’a. He is said to be a leader of the Southern Movement and chairman of a faction called the Supreme
National Council for the Liberation of the South.
There have been unconfirmed reports that he has recently been transferred to a hospital. It is not known what the immediate reason for
this move was, but Hassan Ba’oom is reported to have been suffering from hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. Amnesty
International is concerned about the reported deterioration in his health.
Hassan Ba’oom was previously detained for two months in 2007 and six months in 2008 in connection with protests by retired soldiers
from the south of Yemen against alleged discrimination in employment, salaries and pensions. The Southern Movement is a coalition of
political groups that emerged out of those protests and is seen by the Yemeni government as calling for the independence of the southern
part of the country. The Southern Movement has organized a number of protests over what it perceives to be the government’s failure
to address discrimination against people from the south of the country. The government’s response to these protests has been heavy-
handed. Dozens of demonstrators have been killed in or near demonstrations; in many cases they appear to have been shot dead
unlawfully when were posing no risk to the lives of the security forces or others. Since the protests began in 2007, the security forces
have arrested and detained, in many cases arbitrarily, thousands of demonstrators and bystanders, as well as leaders and activists of the
Southern Movement.
Additional Information
Protests in the south of Yemen have been taking place sporadically for about three years. They began with protests by retired soldiers
from the south, who have increasingly been complaining that they do not receive the same treatment in employment, salary and pensions
as soldiers from the north of the country. Most of the retired soldiers are from the army of the former People’s Democratic Republic of
Yemen (PDRY), commonly known as South Yemen. Following the unification of the country in 1990, the armies of both the PDRY and
the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR), commonly known as North Yemen, were merged into a single army for the new Republic of Yemen.
However, after the civil war in 1994, which ended in the defeat of the South, many of the soldiers of the former PDRY were dismissed
from the army. They, as well as those who remained in the current unified army, allege that they are subject to discrimination compared
to soldiers originally from the army of the YAR. The Southern Movement appears to have emerged following these protests as well as
being sparked by the general discrimination that the people in the south believe they face.
Click here to read more »
URGENT ACTION
Political activist detained incommunicado
A leader of a political opposition group in southern Yemen has been held in incommunicado detention since 9 November. Amnesty
International fears for Hassan Ba’oom’s health and is concerned that he may be held solely for the peaceful expression of his right to
freedom of expression and therefore a prisoner of conscience.
Hassan Ba’oom, who is in his seventies, was arrested by security force members on 9 November while he was in a car on his way from
Aden to al-Dali’, both cities in southern Yemen. He has been detained incommunicado since. He is believed to be held in the Political
Security prison in the capital, Sana’a. He is said to be a leader of the Southern Movement and chairman of a faction called the Supreme
National Council for the Liberation of the South.
There have been unconfirmed reports that he has recently been transferred to a hospital. It is not known what the immediate reason for
this move was, but Hassan Ba’oom is reported to have been suffering from hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. Amnesty
International is concerned about the reported deterioration in his health.
Hassan Ba’oom was previously detained for two months in 2007 and six months in 2008 in connection with protests by retired soldiers
from the south of Yemen against alleged discrimination in employment, salaries and pensions. The Southern Movement is a coalition of
political groups that emerged out of those protests and is seen by the Yemeni government as calling for the independence of the southern
part of the country. The Southern Movement has organized a number of protests over what it perceives to be the government’s failure
to address discrimination against people from the south of the country. The government’s response to these protests has been heavy-
handed. Dozens of demonstrators have been killed in or near demonstrations; in many cases they appear to have been shot dead
unlawfully when were posing no risk to the lives of the security forces or others. Since the protests began in 2007, the security forces
have arrested and detained, in many cases arbitrarily, thousands of demonstrators and bystanders, as well as leaders and activists of the
Southern Movement.
Additional Information
Protests in the south of Yemen have been taking place sporadically for about three years. They began with protests by retired soldiers
from the south, who have increasingly been complaining that they do not receive the same treatment in employment, salary and pensions
as soldiers from the north of the country. Most of the retired soldiers are from the army of the former People’s Democratic Republic of
Yemen (PDRY), commonly known as South Yemen. Following the unification of the country in 1990, the armies of both the PDRY and
the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR), commonly known as North Yemen, were merged into a single army for the new Republic of Yemen.
However, after the civil war in 1994, which ended in the defeat of the South, many of the soldiers of the former PDRY were dismissed
from the army. They, as well as those who remained in the current unified army, allege that they are subject to discrimination compared
to soldiers originally from the army of the YAR. The Southern Movement appears to have emerged following these protests as well as
being sparked by the general discrimination that the people in the south believe they face.
Click here to read more »
US: Investigate Counterterrorism Assistance to Yemen
Probe Yemeni Misuse of Aid, US Missile Strikes, and Saudi Use of US Armaments
December 11, 2010
(New York) - The United States should investigate Yemen's apparent diversion of US counterterrorism assistance to an abusive military
campaign unrelated to terrorist threats and suspend such aid unless the misuse has stopped, Human Rights Watch said today. The
Obama administration and the US Congress also should investigate reported Saudi use of US-supplied ammunition in Yemen and US
missile strikes in Yemen, including a 2009 attack that killed several dozen local residents.
US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks this month stated that Yemen in 2009 repeatedly diverted US-supported Yemeni
counterterrorism forces and possibly US-supplied military vehicles to assist the government's fight against northern Huthi rebels. In the
cables, US diplomats complain that their requests for Yemen to halt such diversions were having little effect. Human Rights Watch has
documented numerous possible violations of the laws of war by government as well as rebel forces in the Huthi conflict. The US should
also investigate reported Saudi use of US-supplied military hardware in the Yemeni-Huthi conflict.
The leaked cables also confirm that the US, not the Yemeni government, carried out missile strikes in December 2009 in the south of the
country, including one that killed 42 local residents.
"Yemeni authorities diverted US taxpayers' dollars from the fight against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to potentially abusive
operations against Huthi rebels," said Letta Tayler, terrorism and counterterrorism researcher for Human Rights Watch. "Tolerating such
misuse of military assistance for Yemen's domestic political struggles could implicate the US in these abusive practices."
US military assistance to Yemen more than doubled from US$67 million to $150 million in 2010 and is expected to increase to $250
million in 2011 in response to efforts by Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to carry out attacks abroad. Since 2002, the US
has spent more than $115 million on Yemeni counterterrorism forces, including the elite Counter-Terrorism Unit that US diplomats say in
cables was deployed to attack northern rebel forces.
Human Rights Watch's April 2010 report on the Huthi-government armed conflict in northern Yemen, "All Quiet on the Northern Front,"
documents credible allegations that Yemeni government forces indiscriminately shelled and bombed civilian areas in its fight against the
Huthis, causing civilian casualties, and used child soldiers. Those practices violate the laws of war. It also found violations by Huthi
forces.
Click here to read more »
Probe Yemeni Misuse of Aid, US Missile Strikes, and Saudi Use of US Armaments
December 11, 2010
(New York) - The United States should investigate Yemen's apparent diversion of US counterterrorism assistance to an abusive military
campaign unrelated to terrorist threats and suspend such aid unless the misuse has stopped, Human Rights Watch said today. The
Obama administration and the US Congress also should investigate reported Saudi use of US-supplied ammunition in Yemen and US
missile strikes in Yemen, including a 2009 attack that killed several dozen local residents.
US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks this month stated that Yemen in 2009 repeatedly diverted US-supported Yemeni
counterterrorism forces and possibly US-supplied military vehicles to assist the government's fight against northern Huthi rebels. In the
cables, US diplomats complain that their requests for Yemen to halt such diversions were having little effect. Human Rights Watch has
documented numerous possible violations of the laws of war by government as well as rebel forces in the Huthi conflict. The US should
also investigate reported Saudi use of US-supplied military hardware in the Yemeni-Huthi conflict.
The leaked cables also confirm that the US, not the Yemeni government, carried out missile strikes in December 2009 in the south of the
country, including one that killed 42 local residents.
"Yemeni authorities diverted US taxpayers' dollars from the fight against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to potentially abusive
operations against Huthi rebels," said Letta Tayler, terrorism and counterterrorism researcher for Human Rights Watch. "Tolerating such
misuse of military assistance for Yemen's domestic political struggles could implicate the US in these abusive practices."
US military assistance to Yemen more than doubled from US$67 million to $150 million in 2010 and is expected to increase to $250
million in 2011 in response to efforts by Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to carry out attacks abroad. Since 2002, the US
has spent more than $115 million on Yemeni counterterrorism forces, including the elite Counter-Terrorism Unit that US diplomats say in
cables was deployed to attack northern rebel forces.
Human Rights Watch's April 2010 report on the Huthi-government armed conflict in northern Yemen, "All Quiet on the Northern Front,"
documents credible allegations that Yemeni government forces indiscriminately shelled and bombed civilian areas in its fight against the
Huthis, causing civilian casualties, and used child soldiers. Those practices violate the laws of war. It also found violations by Huthi
forces.
Click here to read more »
Elections to take place next April regardless of opposition
02-12-2010
SANA’A Dec. 1 — In his key note on the occasion of the 30th Nov. anniversary, marking the British evacuation from Aden in 1967,
President Ali Abdullah Saleh promised that the controversial parliamentary elections due next April will take place no matter what.
“Whoever wants to participate can, whoever wants to boycott can and in all ways we will go ahead with this democratic process,” said
the president.
But the president’s assertions, which are not new, have not been received well by the opposition parties who have “had enough of the
ruling party’s stalling” as stated by Mohamed Al-Sabri, spokesman of the dialogue committee on behalf of the opposition Nasserite party.
“We agreed to amend the constitution and then work on the electoral system. But so far the president and his party keep delaying this,”
he said about the electoral amendments.
However, the president said that the lack of consensus between the ruling party and opposition coalition, the Joint Meeting Parties,
should not prevent the elections from taking place.
Saleh provided the opposition with a compromise whereby he announced that the electoral committee at the Supreme Commission for
Elections and Referendum (SCER) will be comprised of judges and not representatives of political parties as was previously the case.
“If political affiliation is the problem then we should do without it. After all we were all born free human beings and not politicians,” he
said in Aden.
The amended elections law has been proposed to the parliament for discussion.
Although having a committee comprised of judges may seem neutral, lawyer Khaled Al-Ansi and human rights activist says this decision
is more of an unstudied reaction than a real solution because it needs a constitutional amendment to be valid.
“We risk politicizing our judges. We have been trying to reform the judicial system but involving it in elections would be repeating the
mistake made in Egypt,” he said.
He said that the judicial system should remain as a reference body for disputes concerning elections.
Prior to this new decree, the SCER was made of 9 members - four from the ruling party, four independent and one from the Nasserite
party.
Click here to read more »
02-12-2010
SANA’A Dec. 1 — In his key note on the occasion of the 30th Nov. anniversary, marking the British evacuation from Aden in 1967,
President Ali Abdullah Saleh promised that the controversial parliamentary elections due next April will take place no matter what.
“Whoever wants to participate can, whoever wants to boycott can and in all ways we will go ahead with this democratic process,” said
the president.
But the president’s assertions, which are not new, have not been received well by the opposition parties who have “had enough of the
ruling party’s stalling” as stated by Mohamed Al-Sabri, spokesman of the dialogue committee on behalf of the opposition Nasserite party.
“We agreed to amend the constitution and then work on the electoral system. But so far the president and his party keep delaying this,”
he said about the electoral amendments.
However, the president said that the lack of consensus between the ruling party and opposition coalition, the Joint Meeting Parties,
should not prevent the elections from taking place.
Saleh provided the opposition with a compromise whereby he announced that the electoral committee at the Supreme Commission for
Elections and Referendum (SCER) will be comprised of judges and not representatives of political parties as was previously the case.
“If political affiliation is the problem then we should do without it. After all we were all born free human beings and not politicians,” he
said in Aden.
The amended elections law has been proposed to the parliament for discussion.
Although having a committee comprised of judges may seem neutral, lawyer Khaled Al-Ansi and human rights activist says this decision
is more of an unstudied reaction than a real solution because it needs a constitutional amendment to be valid.
“We risk politicizing our judges. We have been trying to reform the judicial system but involving it in elections would be repeating the
mistake made in Egypt,” he said.
He said that the judicial system should remain as a reference body for disputes concerning elections.
Prior to this new decree, the SCER was made of 9 members - four from the ruling party, four independent and one from the Nasserite
party.
Click here to read more »
Journalists Attacked by Security Forces
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Journalists working for Al Jazeera television station were attacked by Yemeni security forces in Aden last Saturday, October 24, while
covering a trial.
Correspondent Hamdy Al-Bakeri was arrested, and camera man Muhammad Al-Saied was beaten and humiliated during the ordeal.
Journalists in Yemen have been subject to increasing oppression by state authorities for several years. Journalists have been beaten,
detained, and even killed. Others were fined, kidnapped or prohibited from writing. In the deteriorating press freedom climate, journalists
may be jailed if they write articles criticizing the government.
HOOD condemns the continuous crackdown on the media by the Yemeni security apparatus.
In a statement, HOOD noted, "The arrest of Al Jazeera's correspondent and the violence against the Al Jazeera cameraman arise from the
underestimation and misunderstanding of the important role that the media plays in the development of society." HOOD also announced
that the organization had volunteered to follow-up this case and bring the perpetrators to justice..
Click here to read more »
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Journalists working for Al Jazeera television station were attacked by Yemeni security forces in Aden last Saturday, October 24, while
covering a trial.
Correspondent Hamdy Al-Bakeri was arrested, and camera man Muhammad Al-Saied was beaten and humiliated during the ordeal.
Journalists in Yemen have been subject to increasing oppression by state authorities for several years. Journalists have been beaten,
detained, and even killed. Others were fined, kidnapped or prohibited from writing. In the deteriorating press freedom climate, journalists
may be jailed if they write articles criticizing the government.
HOOD condemns the continuous crackdown on the media by the Yemeni security apparatus.
In a statement, HOOD noted, "The arrest of Al Jazeera's correspondent and the violence against the Al Jazeera cameraman arise from the
underestimation and misunderstanding of the important role that the media plays in the development of society." HOOD also announced
that the organization had volunteered to follow-up this case and bring the perpetrators to justice..
Click here to read more »
Yemen parliament reviews proposed amendment to civil society law
By Faisal Darem in Yemen For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-07-24
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the Yemen Human Rights Network (YHRN) independently announced initiatives for
legislative amendments to the law governing civil societies and institutions law.
The efforts by the ministry and civil society are intended to amend deficiencies in the existing law, said Ali Saleh Abdullah, deputy
minister of Social Affairs for Social development.
Earlier this year, the ministry proposed amendments to Article 12 of the current law. But the YHRN is pushing for a new law that would
decrease the ministry's supervisory role over civil society organisations.
A bill drafted by the YHRN and sponsored by MP Ali Al-Ansi renames the existing law the "civil society law" and proposes a change in
the registration process. Organisations would be required to register with courts in their areas instead of the ministry.
The YHRN, composed of six human rights organisations, announced the bill in June.
Abdullah told Al-Shorfa that there is no need for a new civil society law, just amendments to the current law, as his ministry proposed in
April.
"We disagreed with them because their bill tries to cancel the role of the ministry," said Abdullah. "Any new development should be
gradual because uncontrolled leaps may cause us to lose the rights and freedoms that we have now.
He said cancelling the ministry's role will contribute to creation of a "deformed civil society".
"The current law is derived from the constitution and it confirms the role of the judiciary, as it states that freezing or dissolving any
organization or association must take place through the judiciary," he added.
Al-Ansi defended the YHRN bill, arguing that it agrees with the constitution in making the judiciary the ultimate authority. In the bill, "the
role of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour is limited to supporting these organisations and societies," he told Al-Shorfa.
He said that he sponsored the bill because it provides a wider space of freedom for civil society organisations.
"The bill included forming a national independent committee for supporting civil society groups and serving as a link between the
government and civil organisations. Of course, this is a very advanced idea, but everything is still being reviewed," al-Ansi said.
YHRN rotating president Ezzedine al-Asbahi called for a law that would take the views of the civil society organisations into
consideration.
Al-Asbahi hailed the YHRN bill as "a step toward creating a real civil society," saying that "there is no way to create a real democratic
society without having a genuine civil society that supports the democratic idea".
However, he acknowledged the existence of "serious problems in our organisations that we must resolve". He said removing them
requires that "we remove legislative and institutional obstacles these organisations face".
Dr. Muhammad Al-Mikhlafi, former head of the Yemen Observatory for Human Rights, said that for civil society organisations to be
effective, they need to partner with government bodies in two areas. "First is the development of democracy and human rights, and the
second is their partnership in development. For that, they must enjoy legal status as partners, not mere subordinates," he said.
The YHRN bill and the government-proposed amendments to the existing law are currently under review by a parliamentary committee.
"We live in a democratic society and disagreements should not affect our co-operation," said Abdullah. "The parliament will decide what
is better for the country."
Click here to read more>>
By Faisal Darem in Yemen For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-07-24
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the Yemen Human Rights Network (YHRN) independently announced initiatives for
legislative amendments to the law governing civil societies and institutions law.
The efforts by the ministry and civil society are intended to amend deficiencies in the existing law, said Ali Saleh Abdullah, deputy
minister of Social Affairs for Social development.
Earlier this year, the ministry proposed amendments to Article 12 of the current law. But the YHRN is pushing for a new law that would
decrease the ministry's supervisory role over civil society organisations.
A bill drafted by the YHRN and sponsored by MP Ali Al-Ansi renames the existing law the "civil society law" and proposes a change in
the registration process. Organisations would be required to register with courts in their areas instead of the ministry.
The YHRN, composed of six human rights organisations, announced the bill in June.
Abdullah told Al-Shorfa that there is no need for a new civil society law, just amendments to the current law, as his ministry proposed in
April.
"We disagreed with them because their bill tries to cancel the role of the ministry," said Abdullah. "Any new development should be
gradual because uncontrolled leaps may cause us to lose the rights and freedoms that we have now.
He said cancelling the ministry's role will contribute to creation of a "deformed civil society".
"The current law is derived from the constitution and it confirms the role of the judiciary, as it states that freezing or dissolving any
organization or association must take place through the judiciary," he added.
Al-Ansi defended the YHRN bill, arguing that it agrees with the constitution in making the judiciary the ultimate authority. In the bill, "the
role of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour is limited to supporting these organisations and societies," he told Al-Shorfa.
He said that he sponsored the bill because it provides a wider space of freedom for civil society organisations.
"The bill included forming a national independent committee for supporting civil society groups and serving as a link between the
government and civil organisations. Of course, this is a very advanced idea, but everything is still being reviewed," al-Ansi said.
YHRN rotating president Ezzedine al-Asbahi called for a law that would take the views of the civil society organisations into
consideration.
Al-Asbahi hailed the YHRN bill as "a step toward creating a real civil society," saying that "there is no way to create a real democratic
society without having a genuine civil society that supports the democratic idea".
However, he acknowledged the existence of "serious problems in our organisations that we must resolve". He said removing them
requires that "we remove legislative and institutional obstacles these organisations face".
Dr. Muhammad Al-Mikhlafi, former head of the Yemen Observatory for Human Rights, said that for civil society organisations to be
effective, they need to partner with government bodies in two areas. "First is the development of democracy and human rights, and the
second is their partnership in development. For that, they must enjoy legal status as partners, not mere subordinates," he said.
The YHRN bill and the government-proposed amendments to the existing law are currently under review by a parliamentary committee.
"We live in a democratic society and disagreements should not affect our co-operation," said Abdullah. "The parliament will decide what
is better for the country."
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Ali Abdallah Salih
President since 22 May 1990
President since 22 May 1990
Maj. Gen. Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi
Vice President since 3 October 1994
Vice President since 3 October 1994
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
None reported.
Rashad Muhammad al-Alimi
Deputy Prime Minister since 31 March 2007
Deputy Prime Minister since 31 March 2007