Saudi-Yemen border talks continue [Archives:2004/720/Local News]

By Peter Willems
The plan made by Saudi Arabia and Yemen to boost security on the border between the two countries appears to be moving along smoothly.
Last month, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh met with Saudi Arabian King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz in Riyadh and the leaders agreed that the Saudi government would stop building a barrier on the border while both sides work together to tighten border security.
In a meeting between Yemeni and Saudi Arabian military officials early this month, the groundwork for cooperation was set. Two field committees to study security arrangements needed in the future were formed, and reports from the committees will be submitted in the next meeting.
It is also reported that the two governments are now arranging the exchange of terrorist suspects held in both countries. Prisoners expected to be swapped are wanted as suspects related to national security and terrorism.
And according to Saudi authorities, Saudi border guards confiscated large quantities of guns, ammunition and explosives along the border in the Jizan region in southern Saudi Arabia last week.
“It is very natural that two neighboring countries are concerned about each others' security,” said Sultan Al-Barakani, Chairman of the GPC Caucus. “If there are negative events in one country, they are reflected in a neighboring country. So both sides will cooperate fully to increase border security.”
But there may be an obstacle. According to members of the Yemeni delegation that participated in the meeting last month in Riyadh, not only did Saudi Arabia agree to stop building the barrier but to remove what had already been constructed. There are now suspicions that Saudi Arabia will not remove the existing barrier in the near future. It has been reported out of Saudi Arabia that the Saudi government does not want to pull down the barrier unless it is satisfied with the new security strategy.
And according to Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi, “Saudi Arabia has suspended building the barrier, and the security committees will survey security in the border area and look at the existing barrier. They will decide on what to do.”
Before the agreement last month, the Yemeni government complained that the construction of the barrier was in violation of the 2000 border agreement. Within the agreement, a demilitarized zone between 5 km to 20 km on both sides of the two countries was established. This area was set up for grazing and allowing tribesmen to move freely.
Tribesmen of the Wayilah tribe, one of the largest tribes along the border north of Sadda, have expressed concern about the future of the barrier. They claim that the barrier will hinder their rights that were established in the 2000 border agreement.
A representative of the Wayilah tribe said that the barrier was built in the demilitarized zone, and tribesmen are feeling that their freedom is being marginalized.
“The barrier has hindered the grazing of many tribesmen,” said the representative of the Wayilah tribe. “The barrier is within the Wayilah area, but there are more complaints coming from other tribes.”
He added that the Wayilah tribe is willing to wait and see if the barrier will be removed and is hoping that the Yemeni government will convince Saudi Arabia to take down the barrier. But he noted that there could be trouble if the barrier remains since a large number of tribesmen are willing to fight if the barrier is not removed.
“This area will be in trouble if they leave the barrier,” said the representative. “The Wayilah tribe will always be ready to act.”
Since terrorist bombings on May 12 last year killed over 50 people in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi government has been concentrating on the border to slow down the flow of arms and infiltration. But the coordinated efforts between Saudi Arabia and Yemen to enhance border control will not be an easy task. The border covers 1,800 km (1,100 miles), and the smuggling of goods, including diesel and qat, has supported smugglers for years. The availability of weapons in Yemen has also made selling arms profitable. If smugglers want to continue their business, they might always be looking for ways to avoid border security.
And if the barrier stays standing for a long period of time and tribesmen along the border are frustrated, there might be conflicts along the border, which could make tightening border security even more difficult.
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