New strategy to limit arm possession [Archives:2007/1042/Local News]

SANA'A, April,12 ) In its last meeting which presided over by The President of the Republic Ali Abdullah Saleh, the National Defence Council ratified a plan, which presented by Dr. Rashid Alalimi, vice prime minister and minister of interior, to collect heavy , mid weapons, and explosives

The 26 September Newspaper quoted witnessed sources that the plan included many steps. First, determining arm markets and the places of arm spread in the light of the result of the previous committee which ordered the collecting of those weapons. Second, determining the kind of arms which come under no possession. Third, determining the compensation for each piece according to its sort, standard, manufacture, and present situation . Fourth, starting the implementation of the plan and finding the necessary bases to its success such as funds for compensations, commissions to superintend the field and secure the collection, and import-storing centers.

The Newspaper adds that implementing the plan to collect heavy and mid weapons will be accompanied by a wide press campaign in different means of information i.e. readable, audible, and visible, so as to identify the risk of this phenomenon as well as the negative sides which affect the citizens who buy or carry those pieces. Also, calling all citizens to cooperate with the commission in their weapon collection according to the law which prevent arm possession.

Sources in the interior Ministry affirmed that the plan will be presented to the Cabinet to ratify it at first, second to approve a budget, and third to assign commissions to count, collect, and pay compensations according to the plan. In addition, an official have said that the repel weaponry comes from the biggest arm market , Souq al-Talh which is located only 30 km from the provincial city of Sada, 240 km from the capital Sana'a. He, also, added that there are around 12 arm markets and about 300 light weapon shops spreading across Yemen. It is worth mentioning that in 2005, the government of Yemen Embarked on a scheme to collect heavy weapons, which reach 9 million pieces according to a survey by the UN in 2003, from tribal communities or arm traders, spending a round 44 million dollars to buy back weapons. However, this effort was floundered as a result of inadequate funding.
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