South Yemen Movement (2007-Present)
Encyclopedia
South Yemen Movement, also referred to as the Peaceful Southern Movement (Arabic
:الحراك السلمي الجنوبي ), Southern Separatist Movement or Harak, is a term given to a popular movement active in the former South Yemen since 2007, which demands secession from the Republic of Yemen
.
and North Yemen
on May 22, 1990, a civil war
broke out in 1994, resulting in the defeat of the southern armed forces and the expulsion of most of the southern leaders, including the former southern President Ali Salim al-Beidh.
Since the 1994 civil war and the national unity which followed, many southerners complained of injustices against them which had passed by unaddressed for years. Their main accusations against the Yemeni government, including widespread corruption and electoral fraud, were based upon the claim that the power-sharing arrangement agreed to by both parties in 1990 has been mishandled in favour of the ruling party, led by the current President Ali Abdullah Saleh
. This was the same accusation given by the former southern leaders which eventually led to the 1994 civil war.
Many southerners also feel that their land, home to the majority of the country’s oil reserves and wealth, was illegally appropriated as part of a conspiracy by the rulers of North Yemen.
After the 1994 civil war, several hundred of thousand military and civil employees from the south were forced into early retirement, and compensated with pensions below the sustenance level. Although there is poverty in all parts of Yemen, many in the south felt that the government was intentionally discharging them from their previously important positions, and replacing them with northern officials.
In May 2007, grieving pensioners who had not been paid for years began to organise small demonstrations calling for equal rights and an end to the economic and political marginalization of the south. As the popularity of such protests grew, with more people beginning to attend, the demands of the protests developed, eventually leading to the full secession of the south. The government's response to these protests was dismissive, labelling them as ‘apostates of the state’.
This gave birth to the Southern Movement, which now consists of a huge coalition of groups, each with slight differences of opinion yet united by a common goal of secession from the north and regaining independence for the territory of the former South Yemen
.
The movement is popular and is growing in the south of Yemen, especially in areas outside of the former capital Aden where government control is weak. In the mountainous region of Yafa
- now termed the 'Free South' or الجنوب الحر - where government control is limited, rule of law is imposed by a network of tribes who have pledged allegiance to the South Yemen Movement. Just minutes outside of Aden, flags of the former South Yemen can be seen raised in the open, a practice which has now been made illegal by the government. Many Northern Yemeni citizens involved with the 2011 Yemeni uprising
against Saleh's government are trying to develop an alliance with the South Yemen Movement, with some hoping on a revolution that could bring Yemen under Southern Movement's power.
A government clampdown on journalists and restriction of free speech, such as the seizure of Al Jazeera broadcasting equipment, means that most footage of protests and attacks comes from amateur footage uploaded onto YouTube
.
A report published by the Yemeni Government said that there were 245 'protests and strikes' and 87 'bombings and shootings' in the first three months of 2010, which cost the lives of 18 civilians and wounded 120 as well as killing 10 members of the Yemeni security forces.
A report by the Yemeni Ministry of Interior claimed that 254 soldiers and officers had been killed and 1,900 had been injured by the South Yemen Movement from 2009 to the first half of 2010.
Southern Movement leader Brigadier General Ali Mohammed Assadi, who deserted to support the Southern rebellion in 1994 claimed that as of July 2011 there were some 1,300 "martyrs" for the Southern movement.
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
:الحراك السلمي الجنوبي ), Southern Separatist Movement or Harak, is a term given to a popular movement active in the former South Yemen since 2007, which demands secession from the Republic of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
.
History
After the union between South YemenPeople's Democratic Republic of Yemen
The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen — also referred to as South Yemen, Democratic Yemen or Yemen — was a socialist republic in the present-day southern and eastern Provinces of Yemen...
and North Yemen
North Yemen
North Yemen is a term currently used to designate the Yemen Arab Republic , its predecessor, the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen , and their predecessors that exercised sovereignty over the territory that is now the north-western part of the state of Yemen in southern Arabia.Neither state ever...
on May 22, 1990, a civil war
1994 civil war in Yemen
The May–July 1994 civil war in Yemen was waged between the armed forces of the former Northern and Southern Yemeni states and their supporters...
broke out in 1994, resulting in the defeat of the southern armed forces and the expulsion of most of the southern leaders, including the former southern President Ali Salim al-Beidh.
Since the 1994 civil war and the national unity which followed, many southerners complained of injustices against them which had passed by unaddressed for years. Their main accusations against the Yemeni government, including widespread corruption and electoral fraud, were based upon the claim that the power-sharing arrangement agreed to by both parties in 1990 has been mishandled in favour of the ruling party, led by the current President Ali Abdullah Saleh
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Field Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh is the first President of the Republic of Yemen. Saleh previously served as President of the Yemen Arab Republic from 1978 until 1990, at which time he assumed the office of chairman of the Presidential Council of a post-unification Yemen. He is the...
. This was the same accusation given by the former southern leaders which eventually led to the 1994 civil war.
Many southerners also feel that their land, home to the majority of the country’s oil reserves and wealth, was illegally appropriated as part of a conspiracy by the rulers of North Yemen.
After the 1994 civil war, several hundred of thousand military and civil employees from the south were forced into early retirement, and compensated with pensions below the sustenance level. Although there is poverty in all parts of Yemen, many in the south felt that the government was intentionally discharging them from their previously important positions, and replacing them with northern officials.
In May 2007, grieving pensioners who had not been paid for years began to organise small demonstrations calling for equal rights and an end to the economic and political marginalization of the south. As the popularity of such protests grew, with more people beginning to attend, the demands of the protests developed, eventually leading to the full secession of the south. The government's response to these protests was dismissive, labelling them as ‘apostates of the state’.
This gave birth to the Southern Movement, which now consists of a huge coalition of groups, each with slight differences of opinion yet united by a common goal of secession from the north and regaining independence for the territory of the former South Yemen
People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen — also referred to as South Yemen, Democratic Yemen or Yemen — was a socialist republic in the present-day southern and eastern Provinces of Yemen...
.
The movement is popular and is growing in the south of Yemen, especially in areas outside of the former capital Aden where government control is weak. In the mountainous region of Yafa
Lower Yafa
Lower Yafa, Lower Yafa'i , or the Sultanate of Lower Yafa , was a state in the British Aden Protectorate. Within its area were the sheikhdoms of Al Saadi, Yaher, Kalad, Thi Nakheb, and Yazidi. It was a founding member of the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South in 1959 and its successor, the...
- now termed the 'Free South' or الجنوب الحر - where government control is limited, rule of law is imposed by a network of tribes who have pledged allegiance to the South Yemen Movement. Just minutes outside of Aden, flags of the former South Yemen can be seen raised in the open, a practice which has now been made illegal by the government. Many Northern Yemeni citizens involved with the 2011 Yemeni uprising
2011 Yemeni uprising
The 2011 Yemen Uprising followed the initial stages of the Tunisian Revolution and occurred simultaneously with the Egyptian Revolution and other mass protests in the Middle East in early 2011. In its early phase, protests in Yemen were initially against unemployment, economic conditions and...
against Saleh's government are trying to develop an alliance with the South Yemen Movement, with some hoping on a revolution that could bring Yemen under Southern Movement's power.
Casualties of the Movement
Although the movement claims that their aims are to be achieved through peaceful means, many of their organised protests have turned deadly. However, many southerners feel that the government's inability to control the protests or even unwillingness to compromise on their demands has led to their use of other, more violent tactics. So far, hundreds of civilian protesters and scores of soldiers have been killed in a growing problem which has attracted the attention of the international community.A government clampdown on journalists and restriction of free speech, such as the seizure of Al Jazeera broadcasting equipment, means that most footage of protests and attacks comes from amateur footage uploaded onto YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
A report published by the Yemeni Government said that there were 245 'protests and strikes' and 87 'bombings and shootings' in the first three months of 2010, which cost the lives of 18 civilians and wounded 120 as well as killing 10 members of the Yemeni security forces.
A report by the Yemeni Ministry of Interior claimed that 254 soldiers and officers had been killed and 1,900 had been injured by the South Yemen Movement from 2009 to the first half of 2010.
Southern Movement leader Brigadier General Ali Mohammed Assadi, who deserted to support the Southern rebellion in 1994 claimed that as of July 2011 there were some 1,300 "martyrs" for the Southern movement.
Links
- The Southern Movement in Yemen, Gulf Research CenterGulf Research CenterThe Gulf Research Center is a privately funded, non-partisan think tank, education provider and consultancy specializing in the Persian Gulf region. The GRC produces research from a Gulf perspective which redresses a current area studies imbalance wherein regional opinions and interests are...
, April 2010 - Yemen's Southern Challenge, Critical Threats (American Enterprise Institute)American Enterprise InstituteThe American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
, November 2009