Yemen’s Kidnapping Environment [Archives:2006/916/Opinion]
Mustafa Ragih
A very short news story on the kidnapping of tourists in Yemen is enough to erase the record of several years of tourism and investment promotion. Moreover, well-organized efforts for presenting such facts about Yemen to international parties do not really exist, wherein the experiences of investors and tourists in real-life situations is conveyed, which is vital to any promotional program coming to fruition.
What Yemen does not need is a new season of kidnappings similar to the back-to-back abductions of three Germans and five Italians in the New Year's opening days. However, the revolution of anger by the government is not enough to deal with a more complicated phenomenon, which people differ in analyzing its causes and its solutions.
Kidnappings are peculiar to the morals and ethics of tribalism in particular and Yemeni society in general. However, they are a result of policies listed in the current regiAme's agenda. Such policies are topped by neglecting and losing control of tribal areas, where inhabitants take pride in bearing arms without restrictions.
To secure stability and safety in such areas, the government prefers tribal sheikhs be responsible for such tasks, rather than its presence. This deal is advantageous to influential tribal sheikhs, as the government intends to meet such sheikhs' demands in return for ensuring static stability. By such stability, the political regime protects itself while citizens suffer its consequences. Lack of public services in remote areas, such as education, health care, security and job opportunities, compels locals to misbehave in an attempt to stain the government's image.
Boosting arms bearing was a unified policy of senior politicians, including the President, Parliamentary Speaker Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussein Al-Ahmar and Islah's Shura Council Chairman, Sheikh Abdulmajeed Al-Zandani. This policy is not pursued privately; rather, senior officials take pride in themselves when authorities grant them arms-bearing licenses. In an interview with Al-Jazeera television, President Saleh boasted his ability to gather a million and a half armed people within two days. Nothing has changed since then and the draft anti-arms-bearing law has been neglected in Parliament's cupboards.
With the majority of MPs, the ruling party has the ability to enforce the law but uses it instead to blackmail Sheikh Al-Ahmar, who holds enthusiasm for tribal traditions and arms-bearing.
Authorities now have realized that the tribal community presents a great problem. The problem gets complicated in central areas spanning Al-Jawf, Marib, Shabwah and Abyan provinces, as well as the northern province of Sa'ada, with its harsh topography and unique tribal style. For more than a year, Sa'ada has witnessed fierce fighting between Al-Houthi followers and military and security forces.
It is clear that the spread of arms-bearing and trade in Sa'ada governorate and strong tribal affiliation constituted two main factors in the eruption of continued clashes. This is in addition to the spread of Zaidi thought and ethics supported by the government over the past 10 years in order to shrewdly plot against other targeted elements.
Over the past few years, Yemen's government has tended to make a distinction between security provided to the regime and security provided to society. This policy led to government negligence and carelessness, which also helped accumulate instability factors and create lawlessness, the consequences of which are confined only to society.
Taking preventive measures has become a must, mainly after the two consecutive kidnapping incidents of German and Italian tourists this month. The 1998 Kidnapping Law seems to ensure enough legislation to deal with the phenomenon, but limiting the government's policy to penal procedures will never change the situation. Any precautionary measures by police will be a suitable substitute only if they represent a series of other procedures.
Coupled with tourist kidnappings, the phenomenon of arms-bearing in remote tribal areas – where government control seems absent – forms a suitable environment for terrorist groups. Additionally, the situation creates a climate suitable for arms trafficking to neighboring Saudi Arabia and Somalia. The latter faces an international resolution banning arms import due to conflicting factions in its territory.
In lieu of the above-said, we need a wise policy to maintain security and stability. Such policy must focus on development, banning arms-bearing and creating more job opportunities. It also must boost party and civic organization activities instead of pressuring them, as is happening nowadays.
Mustafa Ragih is a Yemeni journalist.
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[archive-e:916-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-01-30-p:opinion]
