Details

Written by: By Dr. Hussain Almousawi

Created: 15 April 2015

Conflicts, mesmerized occurred in Yemen since 1936 

 

 

Author: unknown

 

Translation (from Arabic with some necessary additions and corrections):

 

By Dr. Hussain Almousawi

 

(14/4/2015-Muscat Oman)

 

   1934 Tai'f  Agreement  

 

North of Yemen three provinces (Jizan - Najran - Asir) were under the rule of the principality of Idrisid which were under control of Imam Yahiya of Yemen.

 

In 1933 Abdul Aziz Al Saud launched an attack to occupy (those three provinces).  

 

 As his followers, Idrisid appealed to Imam Yahiya to their rescue. The Imam Yahiya rose to defend his territory fought against Abdul Aziz Al-Saud pushed him to Tai’f.

 

In response, Abdul Aziz formed alliance with the British in South Yemen against Imam Yahiya. As south Yemen along with all its southern coast (Hadramout) was under British occupation, “”Aden, essentially the port of Aden, was a Province of the British Raj between 1839 and 1937. Aden had been governed since September 1839 as the Aden Settlement, a 'Non-Regulation Province'[1] subordinated to the Bombay Presidency,[2] and then as a 'Regulation Province' governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the Governor-General of India.””””  Aden was to remain under British control until 1967,””(then it became an independent under, Democratic Republic of South Yemen, Thus Yemen became two countries, one in the north other in the south).This, had created pressure on the Imam Yahiya. He was besieged from the southern front, by "the British - and their puppets southern Yemeni Sultans” while On the north front, " by Abdul Aziz Al-Saud  who had surrounded Hodeidah port, which,  at that time was  the only sea port in Yemen.

 

Imam Yahya realized the danger on him and on his country so decided to hold a dialogue resulted into an agreement With Abdul Aziz AlSaud. This was called:

 

 Tai’f Agreement concluded in 1934. The main points of the agreement are:

 

 1-(the provinces of) (Jizan - Najran - Asir) to be leased lands as (rent) to Saudi Arabia for a period of twenty 20 years.  Agreement subject to renewal in six months before the end of 20 years period.

 

 2-As well as providing facilities for trade, customs and labor

 

(That, includes other arbitration matters and other items)

 

Abdul Aziz Al-Saud considered Tai’f agreement as a victory, because of his success of the pressure he caused to the Imam of Yemen. But in contrast, Imam retained his right by recognition that the regions of (Jizan - Najran - Asir) are Yemeni land leased to Saud, acknowledged by Saudi Arabia. Accordingly we notice in the next annotation, a Saudi scheme to weaken Yemen and dismantling it by creating ongoing conflicts throughout history, from 1934 until now. Every 20 years the Saudi worked hard to postpone the return of three territories to Yemen. The evidence as follow:

 

1954  (after 20 years have passed) was the date of the first renewal of the Tai’f agreement " Renewal was postponed to this date while conflicts and revolutionary movements erupted against the Imam starting with a revolution in1948, which resulted in the killing of Imam Yahya until the revolution of 1955 and right up to the 1962 revolution.

 

 

(From 1962- 1967) during the conflict with the revolution of

 

September 26  1962 in the north Yemen under president Abdulla Al Sallal ,( from 27 September 1962 to 5 November 1967) who was supported by Egypt under President Nasser, Saudi Arabia sided with the Imam against the revolution, with support of money and weapons to the Royal (Imam).  In return Saudi expanded it’s territories in the Empty Quarter on the north of Yemen. An area which was demarcated area and was not recognized under the Tai’f Treaty and its Annexes.  Accordingly Tai’f agreement was not renewed since the Corrective Revolution that resulted into the the resignation of Abdulla Al Sallal and the appointment of Abdurrahman Al Iryani   in 1967 to his resignation in 1974.

 

 After the revolution of 1962 and the occurrence of ongoing war and regional conflicts between Egypt, and Saudi Arabia and others as well as the internal fronts..it was necessary for corrective action led to the handover of power  Abdulla Al Sallal to President Abdurrahman Al-Iryani in 1967. This was credited to the national reconciliation between Republicans and monarchists that saved Yemen out of furnace frightening civil war. It also attributed much of the royal confiscated property by the revolution. That precipitated of much healing and avoids bloodshed.  In his rein the first new Yemeni constitution was drafted which resulted into of the first Shura Council election and was the basic building blocks of the Yemeni unity put through Cairo and Tripoli Conventions

 

In 1974 Al Iryani resigned voluntarily to the Shura Council. His resignation letter was hidden. Instead, it was announced that he was ousted in a bloodless coup on June 13, 1974. This announcement can be considered as first abortion for the first and last Yemeni civilian president and which was handed power to President Hamdi and  then President Ghashmi (both came from the Military ranks)

 

Saudi Arabia had hoped to have an access to the sea of the south of Yemen on the Arabian Sea. In 1969, Wadeea’h war broke out between Saudi Arabia and the Southern People's Democratic Republic of Yemen on the borders of the two countries in the Empty Quarter ended with the victory Saudi forces and control of  Wadeea’h center in 27th November 1969 .. After 1974 three Yemeni heads of state was assassinated.  Thus as previously was noted Tai’f agreement was not renewed.

 

In 1994 a separation war broke out between the north and south Yemen. Between 1974 to 1994 (20 years), Saudi Arabia tried hard to pre-empt any process of Yemen unification, fearing for its borders and the power of Yemen. As more than

 

once the unification foiled during which of three heads of two Yemenis were assassinated. In the north (Hamdi and al-Ghashmi 1977 and 1978) and one was Salem Rubayy’a Ali  was executed in the South in 1978  (Please see notes below this section)Then followed by the continuation of the outbreak of the war in the Central regions. Talks about the unity of 1979 and all have also failed.

 

“Salim Rubai Ali[1] (Arabic: سالم ربيع علي; born ca. 1935 – died 26 June 1978) was the head of state of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) from 22 June 1969 until his surrender and execution by firing squad on 26 June 1978. Rubai Ali led the left wing of the National Front for the Liberation of South Yemen] (NF),[2] which forced the British to withdraw from South Arabia on 29 November 1967. Rubai Ali's radicals gained dominance over the more moderate President Qahtan al-Shaabi's elements, allowing Rubai Ali to seize power; he retained the title of Chairman of the Presidential Council throughout his term, even as the NF changed the name of the country from the People's Republic of South Yemen to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in 1970.[citation needed] Rubai Ali's NF joined with other parties in 1975, creating the United Political Organisation NF (التنظيم السياسي الموحد الجبهة القومية), all rival parties were outlawed earlier. He opposed the idea of the Yemeni Socialist Party's (YSP) future creation promoted by Abdul Fattah Ismail. He appointed Muhammad Ali Haitham as his Prime Minister when he became Chairman. Haitham served until August 1971, when he was replaced by Ali Nasir Muhammad. In 1978, Ali Nasir Muhammad overthrew and executed Rubai Ali.”

 

 

Saudi Arabia have influenced the decisions of the then north Yemen on unity in all the negotiating sessions. Abdullah bin Hussein al-Ahmar was the leading opponents of the unification.

 

In 1990 following the unification of Yemen, relations between Saudi Arabia and Yemen was strained, because the Tai’f treaty signed in 1934 provided for the annexation of Asir and Jizan and Najran to Saudi Arabia until the year 1992.

 

Government Ali Abdullah Saleh accused "foreign bodies” of masterminding the assassinations of hundreds of Yemeni politicians in 1993 and 1992. In response, Saudi Arabia has built a military base in Asir province and started three billion dollars project for border fencing and injected investments in Jizan, then Saudi tried to dismiss the government of Yemen.

 

In 1992 Yemen has signed border agreement with Oman, Saudi Arabia arose to raise the old dispute with the Sultanate as pressure on Muscat to cancel the agreement with Sana’a. Also because of the Yemeni side considered the Tai’f treaty of 1934, canceled since September 1992.. Yemen opposed its renewal.

 

Prior to 1990 when the unity of Yemen became an imminent subject, Saudi Arabia has sought trying to sign a border Agreement with the Democratic Republic of (South) Yemen.. But that, did not lead to an agreement, as well as in the north with the Yemen Arab Republic.

 

Through 1994 of the  separation war Saudi support for separatists with money and weapons and even Scud missiles, which later became booty for Yemen during the summer 1994 war .That ended constantly into the unity of Yemen .This what has raised the  anger  of Saudi Arabia where  they lost so much.

 

 Agreement Jeddah 10/03/1421 H corresponding to 06/12/2000 C

 

Saudi Arabia remained on the same node that of the access to the Indian Ocean waters by penetrating Yemen borders to the Arabian Sea and not to prejudice the Tai’f Treaty of 1934 by all means. Because it was one of the main achievements of King Abdul Aziz who alleged of (unifying the Arabian Peninsula) on one hand. on the other hand it corresponds to the Yemeni node expressed by President Ali Abdullah Saleh who said

 

 “it is impossible to accept unfairly agreement border with Saudi Arabia  ... I will record on myself and to my children after me that I am in the name of Yemen have given up Yemeni land to a State of the strongest and richest, a land that earned  by invasion in an un-equal war “Accordingly border agreement was signed. THE most important item was: Article (1) The two Parties affirm their commitment to the legitimacy and mandatory of  Tai’f treaty signed in 1934 and its Annexes. 

 

2014 Huthi strength and the weakness of the Yemeni state

 

In September 2003 Saudi Arabia has built a concrete wall of 75 kilometers length .. This, arose a violent conflict with the government of Yemen, where the Yemeni government said that the construction of this wall is contrary to the border agreement signed in 2000. The dispute led to halt construction in February 2004.  

 

(Even before that came the surprise emergence of the unknown Houthis  movement as if it emerged from the middle of no were) Their wars has started (during the same year 2004) when its leader, (Hussein al-Huthi) was killed, then followed by six another wars.. Including war with Saudi Arabia that exhausted the Saudis and devoured them particularly as it broke and stretched in front of the border defeating the Saudi army gaining bounty of arms.   (The houthi wars reasons and dates still need to be confirmed and detailed that would necessitate another work, as there are many suggestions for their uprising. Saudi  falls claims that because of an external reasons, as it is too far to believe)

 

For almost 10 years surprisingly, the Huthis kept fighting and gaining territories against both sides, the central government who became to be supported by the Saudi as well against the Saudi on the other side, since 2004 to 2014. As the Huthi this time (by support of many northern tribes) managed to stretch into most provinces in north Yemen even the capital Sana’a in the year 2014. That success followed publication of maps of Yemen by the Houthis included the Yemeni provinces of (Najran – Jizan and Asir, as Yemeni land) this map was distributed

 

and posted at the Yemeni government agencies and ministries. It was promoted largely. That shows one the reasons for the Houthuis uprising.  Because of that, Saudi felt the danger of the Houthis as well as the end of  the role of the Saudi clients and their inability to fight a battle in Yemen. Saudi was forced to enter by themselves directly in the battle because of their money and their pay-ed clients failed to execute their required role.

 

Conclusion

 

By that account it became already clear to us the reasons for the Yemeni internal problems that Saudi Arabia had funded various parties in Yemen to put it in a permanent conflict. History shows us that Saudi Arabia hatred and greed is the cause of all the problems of Yemen it’s all conflicts, wars and destabilization. (Not to speak on the funding and recruitment of too many poor Yemenis to join Al-Qaida and spreading of Wahhabi fanatic ideologies in Yemen by all means possible).