Explaining the importance of weapons for tribes, Sheikh of Jahm to YT: ” I strongly object to disarming tribesmen under the current conditions” [Archives:2000/31/Interview]
July 31 2000
Afterall a good percentage of the Yemeni population, especially in northern areas, actually descend from tribes that are still in existence today. Hence, when saying that Yemen is a tribal country, it may be in some sense true, as most of Yemen’s affairs are run by individuals who have great respect for their tribal background.
However, following the adoption of democracy and the emergence of political parties, the tribal system as an identity, became weak as a result of political affiliations, but continued to be of significance in traditional and social aspects.
However, on the other hand, in recent years, tribes were mostly linked to terrorism, chaos, and lawlessness because of the increasing number of kidnappings that took place in the 1990s. Even though this is true, but is not necessarily a reason to accuse them o f terrorism and lawlessness. Tribes do have their own sets of rules, and do not in any way abide by what the government wants them to do. They have their own lands, their own regulations, their own style of life, and their own traditions.
To shed light on the tribal reality in the Yemeni society and tribes’ relations with the state, Hassan Al-Zaidi of Yemen Times met with Sheikh Abdullah Mohammed Taoiman, Chief of Gahm tribe, the biggest tribe in Mareb, a governorate known for its strong tribal heritage and influence, and made the following interview:
Q: How do you assess the relationship between the tribes and the state?
A: The tribe is a social structure governed by a set of prevailing conventions, traditions and tribal norms, and it is part and parcel of the Yemeni overall society.
The prevalent tribal norms and traditions are the factors that regulate and govern the relations among the tribes of Marib. The same factors also govern those relations with other tribes, and thus was the relationship between the state and the tribes until 1990. That year marks the adoption of democracy and political pluralism as an approach by the political leadership. These have weakened Sheikhs’ authority, cracked their unity by dragging them to a conflicting political life and shaken relations between tribes and the state.
In the past, when a problem arose between a tribesman and the state, the state would summon the Sheikh for smoothing things down. What happens today is just the opposite. Sheikhs have been unable to manage their affairs with tribesmen nor those with the state. Nor political parties have been able to solve their members’ disputes and problems.
The mechanism of tackling tribal affairs by the government is a failure and parties in our tribal life have turned to be a big hoax. We are a society that has its own norms.
Q: What, in your opinion, is the reason for the continuing conflict between tribes and the state?
A: They are many. However, let me stress that conflicts and political conspiracies began to appear after 1990 for the same reasons I have already mentioned in a way that has affected Sheikhs’ authority. Consequently, tribes’ power as well as its role in society got weakened.
Some tribesmen found salvation in resorting to a certain kind of actions to ensure solutions to their problems. Ironically, some of these problems are easy to solve, but are deliberately exploited by some officials for personal purposes to make a lot of fuss about them. Unless the President intervened in many disputes, there could have been disasters.
Q: What do you think are the motivations for the kidnapping incidents?
A: Following up a case in courts, nowadays may make you sell your property in pursuit of a solution to your problems. This has created a certain kind of tribal resentment, leading in the long run, to some acts of sabotage such as kidnapping foreigners or piercing oil pipelines. Unfortunately, the way those actions are tackled is wrong. Bombing the whole area to which one of the kidnappers belongs creates more enemies to the state. In fact, I do not call them saboteurs, because they are obliged to carry out such actions to squeeze out their rights.
Q: Why don’t you use your authority to solve their problems?
A: We make every effort to solve them, but some are beyond our control.
Q: The state says that kidnappers’ demands are always unreasonable. What is your comment?
A: As far as I am concerned, I haven’t heard about any unreasonable demands.
Q: How are problems solved?
A: Problems that reach the President are quickly settled down under his directives. Others might be postponed or neglected.
Q: Do you think that problems are created by clandestine powers?
A: Absolutely not! I do not believe that. I have already mentioned the reasons. Added to them are unemployment, corruption in government offices, marginalization of the government, wrong actions committed against the people here, etc.
Q: How did you react to the borders treaty signed by Yemen and the KSA? How about your personal relations with the Kingdom? What has been your role in connection with the treaty?
A: Personally speaking, I have been working for a reconciliation between President Saleh and Saudi kings and princes. I am very glad to see that what I have been looking forward to has really come true.
The treaty is a great achievement for which leaders of the two countries deserve all gratitude.
As far as our relations with the Saudi kings and princes are concerned, they have been deeply rooted since our childhood. These relations are based on love and our gratitude. They are very generous with us not for political purposes or interests in Yemen but rather because they know the hardships tribal leaders encounter, especially in solving problems. It is to be stressed that such donations are not only presented to Sheikhs of the eastern areas but to all Sheikhs in the peninsula.
Q: Don’t you think that such donations to Sheikhs will be cut someday?
A: On the contrary. Aal Saud are not helping us for personal purposes. They are rather following the footsteps of late King Abdul Aziz (may God bless him.) Being generous with Yemeni Sheikhs is not connected to hidden aims. Everybody knows that and the President himself knows it as well.
Q: Does the government pay your areas their due attention?
A: I think that Mareb is placed at the bottom of the states priorities. Although it is a historical city and rich with oil, it lacks many basic development projects. I can attribute this to a number of reasons chief among which are shortcomings in outlining the development plans and the absence of officials from eastern areas in the decision making positions. The government, unfortunately, is still dealing with the governorate pursuant to a criterion based on the size of population, disregarding its vastness and spread of its residents in all its districts.
Q: What about your relations with the local authority?
A: Ex-governors, except Dirhem No’aman, showed no enthusiasm about providing services projects for the city. We do pin hopes on the newly appointed governor, Dr. Saleh Sameeh who has demonstrated more understanding of the city’s needs.
Q: Blood revenge has recently involved many of the governorate’s tribes. What do you think are the reasons?
A: They stem from disputes over tribes boundaries, political conspiracies to play havoc with tribes’ financial and military abilities, etc. Tribes have begun to realize this fact and conflicts have lessened.
Q: Why does the state deploy a many troops in the governorate?
A: That was a result of some events like those of Sirwah. However, the state has adopted this policy before and it did not lead to a break throught. Had money spent on those forces been spent on services projects in the governorate, there would have been no acts of sabotage.
Q: People of Mareb are used to carrying and possessing weapons. How did you receive the law of people’s disarmament?
A: Weapons are a tribal tradition that tribesmen keep to defend themselves in case of any aggression. Tribes can not comply with this law because they need to protect themselves against other tribes.
I, once again, stress that tribes have become more aware of consequences of conflicts. What they need is more security and stability. When they feel that they can travel to any place in Yemen with no fears about their safety, they will be the first people to disarm themselves. They are even ready to put aside the Jinbia which is part of the Yemeni tradition. Otherwise, I strongly object to disarming tribesmen under the current conditions. Some tribesmen work in the army. If a military man sees an unarmed enemy from another tribe, that military man may not hesitate in using his army weapon against that enemy. So why disarming others?
I agree with prohibiting arms in the main cities such as Sana’a and Aden because it is an uncivilized behavior. Arms must be kept inside cars, for example, when entering such cities. There are certain specialties which must be considered.
Q: How do you foresee the future of the local governance in the governorate and others controlled by the same traditions and norms such as Al-Gawf and Shabwah?
A: It depends on the state’s sincerity in this regard. Some tribesmen are educated and university graduates who can manage affairs of their areas. I will not agree if it is based on parties. I am against parties because they breed conflicts and conspiracies.
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