How Many Times the Oil Pipeline was Pierced? [Archives:2000/11/Business & Economy]

By: Hassan Al-Zaiedy
Yemen Times, Marib

A detailed report issued last week has made clear the times of explosion of the oil pipeline so far. In this report I am going to focus on the ulterior motives that could have urged the residents of the area to commit such acts; the government’s previous and present reactions to such situations; the volume of losses and damage on account of these incidents; the extent of damage compared to the demands of the people in these areas; the environmental damage resulting from those explosions.
In an attempt to find some answers, Yemen Times met with so many persons residing in the areas where explosions took place to know their points of view. Though explosions occurred in 1993, it was pretty hard to know the real reasons behind these explosions.
The explosion conducted by some residents of these areas in 1994 was motivated by the YSP’s top officials during the war of 1994, the government claimed. The other chain of explosions were the result of clandestine operations making it impossible to identify the saboteurs as well as their motives behind these.
Regarding the explosions that occurred in early 1998, the latest of which was in November 1999, so many factors have come to light as a result of our meetings with some people residing in the affected areas. Some of them inescapable consequences by the extreme suffering and consequent rage of some residents. They said “These residents felt that they are ostracized and are deprived of their basic rights including public services, projects, and so many other facilities. When authority did not respond positively to their requests, some residents resorted to explosions so as to exercise pressure on the government to meet their demands.”Some other people see that the indifference of these officials and their procrastination is also another factor behind these subversive operations.
One of these residents, requesting anonymity, said “We do believe that explosive operations are acts of sabotage, however, we were forced to resort to the extreme step as the government has always been turning deaf ear to our legitimate demands. We have always wanted peace and knocked on all doors asking for our rights, all to no avail.”Another one, requesting anonymity, said “We are Yemenis and we have rights as well. We want to feel the sense of equality that our government boasts to uphold.” Some of us are qualified officials who have been kicked out from their positions by the authority.
Other ones are poor farmers who terribly suffer due to floods and the government has not even supplied them with the basic means to reclaim what has remained after floods. Despite the fact that we live in areas where these companies are established, we have never been considered for employment there, even as workers. If there is a job vacancy or two, they will certainly go to Sheikh’s son or his cousin. We, and the like, have spent fortunes in following the procedures up in Sana’a to be get a job. However, all have come to nothing. In short, the point is that since we do not have effective mediation, therefore we are left with no choice can find no way except resorting to these actions or die out of hunger.”Mr. M. said “We are not saboteurs. The real saboteurs are sheikhs and officials who have deprived the residents of their rights. We do have rights to enjoy the benefits of the available resources of our society. We have the rights to live happily in peace and security. We have rights to enjoy the wealth of our lands. Where do all the revenues of these resources go?

“Obviously and undoubtedly to the pockets of some select few”.
Foreign aids to help farmers terribly affected by floods, were many times intercepted by these select few. Consequently, these farmers who have been asking for help since 1996 have so far received nothing.”
Mr. S. quoted some popular proverbs which illustrate the state of chaos in our country and the law of the jungle in which the stronger smashes the weaker. He said “If you show your muscles on the officials, then only they will respect and appreciate you.”We talked to one of the residents of Al-A’aroosh, Khawlan, and said that the government’s constant calls for these areas’ sheikhs to meet and discuss things is a sure sign of its commitment to solve their problems, he said “We do not deny that the president calls for sheikhs whenever there are problems. However, their meetings have never borne fruit and solutions to these residents problems and sufferings remain a far cry mainly for the following factors.
Some sheikhs are only looking for their own self interests. They do not care for their people’s legal rights and insist on the government solving them. Others are interested in showing off. They do insist that solutions to the problems should be conducive to them, otherwise they will oppose any attempt to solve issues of dispute. Some others are interested to keep things as they are so as to exploit these for their benefit.
Thus, residents of these areas lost their trust and were naturally fed up with these shallow promises of these top figures. Had there been sincere and committed attitudes by these officials and sheikhs, the situation would have been different and solutions to all these issues and problems of people would be easily found. This has led to the escalation of so many problems including subversive incidents and acts of kidnapping, etc,.
Pretty Heavy Losses:
Comparing the losses due to these explosions to the cost of meeting the residents’ demands, one can get a clear perspective. So Far, explosions run to 37 and each incident cost the company $ 150,000 to get the oil pipeline repaired. Besides, according to some informed sources, one of the explosions conducted by a land mine led to the leakage of 70,000 barrels of crude oil. Another one led to the leakage of 48,000 barrels of crude oil. In other explosions crude oil leak was estimated at 50 barrels an hour. In some of these explosions the oil pipeline needed a-two-day work to be repaired. However, at times residents of these areas stood against the technical group and works and negotiations run to 16 days.
The following will illustrate the losses:
Number of Explosions      37
Cost of repairs                $150,000
Total                              $5,550,000
Oil leak quantity               223,000 barrels
barrel Cost                    $16
Total                             $3,568,000
OVERALL TOTAL    $9,223,000
These are the overall costs of the losses which have reached a staggering $ 9,223,000. Moreover, fortunes are spent on the security forces protecting the oil pipeline.
From the above account one could easily observe that the volume of losses is far greater than the cost of meeting these residents’ needs.
Interference of External Forces
From time to time, explosions are projected to be politically motivated and that there were some foreign forces behind them. In order to come with the grips with the heart of the matter, we contacted so many residents of these areas who had the following to say:
“Regarding the explosions that occurred in 1993 and 1994, four explosions, were conducted in a completely clandestine way. Besides no source had claimed responsibility except in one explosion that took place in Khawlan when the tribesmen protested against being able to be employed in an oil company.
However, explosions that happened after 1998, 1999 were not at all politically motivated which is clear from the fact that those who are behind such explosions were fully known to the people residing in these areas. Had they been supported by any foreign force, the situation would have been absolutely different.
The possibility that some saboteurs in connivance with foreign forces may have perpetrated such acts is very dim, for they are very few and well-known to the people of these areas.
Official Precautionary Measures to Settle Disputes:
At the beginning, the government deployed military forces to the sensitive areas so as to enforce a margin of security. However, this was not that effective as ironically, some explosions took place near these military forces. On the other hand, this had at different occasions, to confrontations between the security forces and some residents of these areas causing damage of many houses, killing some children and women, preventing so many students from continuing their studies and creating an atmosphere of panic over the area. The outcome of deployment of security forces in these areas is increased tensions between the government and the people.
The top brass and sheikhs close to the authority were the only beneficiaries of these actions. When these officials and sheikhs found it hard to control things, they deployed some residents as guards to protect the oil pipeline. Moreover, the government has convened a meeting of those influential in these areas and tried to meet some of their personal demands so that the poor citizens will find no-one to stand by them. By this, the government has applied a new diplomatic policy seeking to appease the influential and the strong. After all, the new policy has been another ineffective one for the atmosphere of fear is still prevailing, especially as the really affected residents have so far received nothing. Therefore, the possibility of their resorting to old ways is still there.
In its attempt to control this, the government has taken preventive measures such as covering the oil pipeline by sands so that residents won’t be able to dig it up and explode it. Had the government supplied these means to benefit these residents and established projects to reclaim their lands, it would have solved some of the most pressing problems and could have contained the mounting discontent among these people. By helping these residents the government could have also stopped anyone who tries to do some acts of sabotage for the residents will stand against any attempts.
In short, it seems that the government does not want to put an end to this. These residents in their return are not going to let their rights vaporize in thin air, nor the government seems to be reasonable and seriously consider their demands and tries to meet the basic and logic ones. This means more public destruction and acts of sabotage. It is obvious that these continuous explosions have damaged the environment and affected the people’s health as well as the agricultural lands. Environmental experts have constantly warned against the great hazardous effects of these explosions on the environment.
This is the real story of the explosion of oil pipeline in Yemen and the judgment on this issue is to be left for the readers.
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