HISTORY
Yemen was one of the oldest centers
of civilization in the Near East. Between the 12th century BC
and the 6th century AD, it was part of the Minaean, Sabaean, and
Himyarite kingdoms, which controlled the lucrative spice trade,
and later came under Ethiopian and Persian rule. In the 7th century,
Islamic caliphs began to exert control over the area. After this
caliphate broke up, the former north Yemen came under control
of Imams of various dynasties usually of the Zaidi sect, who established
a theocratic political structure that survived until modern times.
(Imam is a religious term. The Shiites apply it to the prophet
Muhammad's son-in-law Ali, his sons Hasan and Hussein, and subsequent
lineal descendants, whom they consider to have been divinely ordained
unclassified successors of the prophet.)
Egyptian Sunni caliphs occupied much
of north Yemen throughout the 11th century. By the 16th century
and again in the 19th century, north Yemen was part of the Ottoman
empire, and in some periods its Imams exerted suzerainty over
south Yemen.
Former North Yemen
Ottoman government control was largely confined to cities with
the Imam's suzerainty over tribal areas formally recognized. Turkish
forces withdrew in 1918, and Imam Yahya strengthened his control
over north Yemen. Yemen became a member of the Arab league in
1945 and the United Nations in 1947.
Imam Yahya died during an unsuccessful
coup attempt in 1948 and was succeeded by his son Ahmad, who ruled
until his death in September 1962. Imam Ahmad's reign was marked
by growing repression, renewed friction with the United Kingdom
over the British presence in the south, and growing pressures
to support the Arab nationalist objectives of Egyptian President
Gamal Abdul Nasser.
Shortly after assuming power in 1962,
Ahmad's son, Badr, was deposed by revolutionary forces which took
control of Sanaa and created the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR). Egypt
assisted the YAR with troops and supplies to combat forces loyal
to the Imamate. Saudi Arabia and Jordan supported Badr's royalist
forces to oppose the newly formed republic. Conflict continued
periodically until 1967 when Egyptian troops were withdrawn. By
1968, following a final royalist siege of Sanaa, most of the opposing
leaders reached a reconciliation; Saudi Arabia recognized the
Republic in 1970.
Former South Yemen
British influence increased in the south and eastern portion of
Yemen after the British captured the port of Aden in 1839. It
was ruled as part of British India until 1937, when Aden was made
a crown colony with the remaining land designated as east Aden
and west Aden protectorates. By 1965, most of the tribal states
within the protectorates and the Aden colony proper had joined
to form the British-sponsored federation of south Arabia.
In 1965, two rival nationalist groups--the
Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen (FLOSY) and the
National Liberation Front (NLF)--turned to terrorism in their
struggle to control the country. In 1967, in the face of uncontrollable
violence, British troops began withdrawing, federation rule collapsed,
and NLF elements took control after eliminating their FLOSY rivals.
South Arabia, including Aden, was declared independent on November
30, 1967, and was renamed the People's Republic of South Yemen.
In June 1969, a radical wing of the Marxist NLF gained power and
changed the country's name on December 1, 1970, to the People's
Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY). In the PDRY, all political
parties were amalgamated into the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP),
which became the only legal party. The PDRY established close
ties with the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and radical Palestinians.
Republic of Yemen
In 1972, the governments of the PDRY and the YAR declared that
they approved a future union. However, little progress was made
toward unification, and relations were often strained. In 1979,
simmering tensions led to fighting, which was only resolved after
Arab League mediation. The goal of unity was reaffirmed by the
northern and southern heads of state during a summit meeting in
Kuwait in March 1979. However, that same year the PDRY began sponsoring
an insurgency against the YAR. In April 1980, PDRY President Abdul
Fattah Ismail resigned and went into exile. His successor, Ali
Nasir Muhammad, took a less interventionist stance toward both
the YAR and neighboring Oman. On January 13, 1986, a violent struggle
began in Aden between Ali Nasir Muhammad and the returned Abdul
Fattah Ismail and their supporters. Fighting lasted for more than
a month and resulted in thousands of casualties, Ali Nasir's ouster,
and Ismail's death. Some 60,000 persons, including Ali Nasir and
his supporters, fled to the YAR.
In May 1988, the YAR and PDRY governments
came to an understanding that considerably reduced tensions including
agreement to renew discussions concerning unification, to establish
a joint oil exploration area along their undefined border, to
demilitarize the border, and to allow Yemenis unrestricted border
passage on the basis of only a national identification card.
In November 1989, the leaders of
the YAR (Ali Abdallah Salih) and the PDRY (Ali Salim Al-Bidh)
agreed on a draft unity constitution originally drawn up in 1981.
The Republic of Yemen (ROY) was declared on May 22, 1990. Ali
Abdallah Salih became President, and Ali Salim Al-Bidh became
Vice President.
A 30-month transitional period for
completing the unification of the two political and economic systems
was set. A presidential council was jointly elected by the 26-member
YAR advisory council and the 17-member PDRY presidium. The presidential
council appointed a Prime Minister, who formed a Cabinet. There
was also a 301-seat provisional unified Parliament, consisting
of 159 members from the north, 111 members from the south, and
31 independent members appointed by the chairman of the council.
A unity constitution was agreed upon in May 1990 and ratified by the populace in May 1991. It affirmed Yemen's commitment to free elections, a multiparty political system, the right to own private property, equality under the law, and respect of basic human rights. Parliamentary elections were held on April 27, 1993. International groups assisted in the organization of the elections and observed actual balloting. The resulting Parliament included 143 GPC, 69 YSP, 63 Islah (Yemeni Grouping for Reform, a party composed of various tribal and religious groups). The head of Islah, Paramount Hashid Sheik Abdullah Bin Hussein Al-Ahmar, was elected speaker of Parliament, and continues in that capacity.
Islaah was invited into the ruling
coalition, and the presidential council was altered to include
one Islaah member. Conflicts within the coalition resulted in
the self-imposed exile of Vice President Ali Salim Al-Bidh to
Aden beginning in August 1993 and a deterioration in the general
security situation as political rivals settled scores and tribal
elements took advantage of the unsettled situation.
Haydar Abu Bakr Al-Attas (former
southern Prime Minister) continued to serve as the ROY Prime Minister,
but his government was ineffective due to political infighting.
Continuous negotiations between northern and southern leaders
resulted in the signing of the document of pledge and accord in
Amman, Jordan on February 20, 1994. Despite this, clashes intensified
until civil war broke out in early May 1994.
Almost all of the actual fighting
in the 1994 civil war occurred in the southern part of the country
despite air and missile attacks against cities and major installations
in the north. Southerners sought support from neighboring states
and received billions of dollars of equipment and financial assistance.
The United States strongly supported Yemeni unity, but repeatedly
called for a cease-fire and a return to the negotiating table.
Various attempts, including by a UN special envoy, were unsuccessful
to effect a cease-fire.
Southern leaders declared secession
and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Yemen (DRY)
on May 21, 1994, but the DRY was not recognized by the international
community. Ali Nasir Muhammad supporters greatly assisted military
operations against the secessionists and Aden was captured on
July 7, 1994. Other resistance quickly collapsed and thousands
of southern leaders and military went into exile.
Early during the fighting, President
Ali Abdallah Salih announced a general amnesty which applied to
everyone except a list of 16 persons. Most southerners returned
to Yemen after a short exile.
An armed opposition was announced
from Saudi Arabia, but no significant incidents within Yemen materialized.
The government prepared legal cases against four southern leaders--Ali
Salim Al- Bidh, HaydarAbu Bakr Al-Attas, Abd Al-Rahman Ali Al-Jifri,
and Salih MunassarAl-Siyali--for misappropriation of official
funds. Others on the list of 16 were told informally they could
return to take advantageof the amnesty, but most remained outside
Yemen. Although many of Ali Nasir Muhammad's followers were appointed
to senior governmental positions (including Vice President, Chief
of Staff, and Governor of Aden), Ali Nasir Muhammad himself remained
abroad in Syria.
In the aftermath of the civil war, YSP leaders within Yemen reorganized the party and elected a new politburo in July 1994. However, the party remained disheartened and without its former influence.
In 1994, amendments to the unity constitution eliminated the presidential council. President Ali Abdullah Saleh was elected by Parliament on October 1, 1994 to a 5-year term. In April 1997, Yemen held its second multiparty parliamentary elections. The country held its first direct presidential elections in September 1999, electing President Ali Abdullah Saleh to a 5-year term in what were generally considered free and fair elections.
Constitutional amendments adopted in the summer of 2000 extended the presidential term by 2 years, creating a seven-year presidential term. The constitution provides that henceforth the President will be elected by popular vote from at least two candidates selected by the legislature. The amendments also extended the parliamentary term of office to a 6-year term, with the next elections occurring in 2009. On February 20, 2001, a new constitutional amendment created a bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats; members appointed by the president) and a House of Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote). In April 2003, the third multiparty parliamentary elections were held with improvements in voter registration for both men and women and in a generally free and fair atmosphere. Two women were elected. In September 2006, citizens re-elected President Saleh to a second term in a generally open and competitive election, although there were multiple problems with the voting process and use of state resources on behalf of the ruling party.
