Despite injury of around 6 in tribal attack against Saudi-Yemeni border demarcating company Yemenis and Saudis insist on completing border demarcation by 2003 [Archives:2002/36/Front Page]
September 2 2002
A tribal source said the Yemeni tribes of Dhu Hussein had destroyed a number of equipment belonging to the German company resulting in the temporary suspension of the demarcation process. The company started placing border markings in that area last Wednesday. Among the injured were 3 of the attacking tribesmen, some with very serious injuries, while casualties on the other side were not known yet except the injury of three tribesmen from Bani Hadhban, employed for guarding the company’s equipment.
In a statement to Yemen Times on the border clashes, a diplomat at the Saudi Embassy confirmed the clashes Saturday and said “I would like to mention that the events took place inside the Yemeni territories, not on the Saudi side of the border,” confirming that Saudi military units did not take part in the clashes or use any military units or planes.
Dhu Hussein tribes had early this month handed the Saudi Embassy in Sana’a a letter warning against placing concrete markings in their area extending for 275 km, starting from the area adjacent to Saudi Sharoura to Najran. The letter confirmed that they would resist any demarcation action in this respect, rejecting the Jeddah border treaty signed by Yemen and Saudi Arabia in Junse 2000.
They demanded in their letter both the Yemeni and Saudi governments to adopt Taif treaty as a basis for border demarcation. Yemeni authorities have detained Sheikh al-Shai’f for seven months for accusing him of blasting border markings. Yemeni authorities, however, are still detaining two sheikhs from Dhu Hussein for refusing to recognize the new border treaty and hindering the German company placing the border markings.After the Thursday armed confrontation, Colonel Sheikh Yahya Abdulla al-Shaif retreated with his force 5,000 strong men force from Dahm al-Hamra’ tribes and tribesmen from allied Hamadan and al-Jawf to the fortified area of Ghazzan and Sha’af mountains, 40 km to the west of Yateema. Sheikh al-Shai’f told Yemen Times that the Dham al-Hamra tribes refuse to carry out demarcation inside their territories extending along the borderline from Rayan to Ghuraimi area near al-Boga’ area, claiming that such act would make them lose part of their territories to the Saudi side and confirming that they have documents proving their ownership of that land. He accused sheikh Abdulla al-Ahmer signed a contract with the German company, pledging to help it fixing the border markings in the disputed area and that has aroused the tribes anger.
Despite the difficulties hindering the implementation of the demarcation process both Yemen and Saudi Arabia are determined to have the border demarcated by 2003. According to MENL, “The 1,500-kilometer border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen is expected to be delineated early next year.
Saudi and Yemeni officials said the lion’s share of the nearly $1 billion project has been completed. A German company will mark 857 points along the eastern Saudi border with Yemen and Oman. The prime contractor in the border delineation is Hans Luftbeild. The Germany company was awarded the contract in wake of a reconciliation effort by Saudi Arabia and Yemen in June 2000 to end years of border clashes. A joint committee composed of Saudi and Yemeni representatives met over the weekend to discuss the border delineation. Officials said the $986 million project would be completed by April.”
——
[archive-e:36-v:2002-y:2002-d:2002-09-02-p:./2002/iss36/front.htm]
