The Southern Question

Transcription

1 In the name of Allah the Merciful the Compassionate The Southern National Organization For Liberation and Independence (Alhy'ah) Date: The Southern Question 1. The people of South Arabia has, and is still, struggling peacefully for liberation, independence and the establishment of its own national federal sovereign state on its territory with its internationally recognized boundaries before 22 nd May Throughout history, the people of South Arabia enjoyed a unique geographic location in this area as it overlooks Bab Al-Mandab Strait connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Around 9 million barrels of oil pass daily through this Strait. Our people have the ability to restore the Seaport of Aden to its original status as it was one day in the last century one of the busiest seaports globally. The free zone in Aden can also be a hub for international, regional and global investments. Aden will play a vital role not only in fighting terrorism but also in combating piracy, smuggling of weapons, drugs and human trafficking. It will help addressing the consequences of the conflicts in the Horn of Africa, especially Somalia to the south of the Gulf of Aden, which extend through the South to the Gulf Cooperation Council states. 2. The people of South Arabia achieved its liberation from the British colonization, which ruled the country for 129 years, and established its state on its national territory. Article (1) Memorandum of Agreed Points Relating to Independence for South Arabia, (The People's Republic of Southern Yemen, according to the will of the National Liberation Front) confirms that: South Arabia shall have independence on 30 th November 1967". A national independent as Article 2 of the Memorandum stated - and sovereign state shall be established. The new republic has joined the international community and engaged itself in various international (global and regional) organizations, notably, the United Nations, its specialized organizations, the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference etc. 3. The world has seen key changes by the end of the 1980s and early 1990s. Complete regimes have fallen apart resulting in a rush from the side of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Yemen and the Arab Republic of Yemen to conclude the Aden Agreement on the 30 th of November 1989 in regard to the completion of unity on the 30 th of November Then, on the 22 nd May 1990, a rushed agreement of unity was concluded in an unstudied manner in less than two pages without any controls. Unity took place without conferring to the two people in both countries to seek their opinion through a referendum before establishing the unified state. The basic and stated justification for the Aden Agreement 1989 regarding the conclusion of Unity was that Yemen has been originally unified and, therefore, it has to be reunited. This justification is not part of history. There was no state under the name of Yemen throughout history except since the era of Imam Yahya in the first half of the last century

2 and that Yemen was limited to his own kingdom which the South was not part thereof. In addition, there was also another declared objective, namely; achieving the interest of the two people in the Peoples Democratic Republic of Yemen and the Arab Republic of Yemen considering it as the aim for which the two people were seeking to achieve because the interest in this relationship is mutual. However, the Arab Republic of Yemen had a different understanding than that of the other party in the agreement, the Peoples Democratic Republic. The Arab Republic of Yemen considered that this agreement means that the branch is reunited with the origin. This was expressed by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussein Alahmar, the Sheikh of Hashid tribe, the head of the Yemeni Islah Party, and the Speaker of the Parliament, who said in a session on the 25 th of April 1994 that unity, when it took place in May 1990 has brought things back to normalcy; the branch has rejoined the origin, the part has returned to the whole and the astray son has returned to his legitimate father since the creation of unity, the lost branch is trying to be given the same position and rights of the origin, which we cannot accept. This confirms the predominant view amidst many individuals in the brotherly Yemen. It confirms that the agreement they signed, in the understanding of the head of the regime then, and the Houthi and his revolutionary committees today, that unity is a mean to reach an end. Unity, in their views, was just an annexing of the branch to the origin. They imposed their long-standing modus operandi in administering the "state" away from systems and laws. They relied on personal, tribal allegiances, corruption, perversion to suppress their opponents using all means of persuasion, intimidation and spending public funds without any controls. Therefore, there is no existence of a state, except just the head of the regime and powerful centers then. Today, it is the Houthi, with his revolutionary committees, and the conflicting powerful centers. It is obvious that the interest was not joint between the two people because each of them had a different understanding of this interest. 4. With the escalation of disputes between the ruling parties, a committee for national dialogue was established and the Document of Pledge and Accord was signed in February 1994 in Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, under the auspices of late King Hussein Bin Talal. The regime in Sana a, despite the signing of the Document of Pledge and Accord, reverted to the use of force to resolve the crisis and the dispute for its own benefit. Hence, the pillars of the peacefully declared unity collapsed. The war ended this unity, especially as the hostilities were directed towards the people of South Arabia the other party in the unity declaration dissolved its state (the Peoples Democratic Republic of Yemen) in order to establish a single state (the Republic of Yemen). By this, the war ended the unity on reality and turned the south into an occupied territory. The goal of the Sana a regime behind declaring the war against the people of South Arabia is to eliminate the existence of the other party to the unity; the people of the South, and then eliminating any form of a rule of law, which was hoped to be achieved following the signing of the Document of Pledge and Accord. Some national forces represented in the dialogue committee made efforts to prevent the breakout of war and to continue the dialogue. The tribal and military regime in Sana a planted the seeds of fragmentation rather than 2

3 unification and it opened the door for intimidation. This fact will remain, throughout history, an obstacle before the unification of people. This is the guilt of those who planned and carried out this outrageous crime; the crime of planning and waging the hostile war against the people of South Arabia, the other party to the agreement on declaration of the Republic of Yemen, as well as the practices of the occupation until today. 5. The Security Council examined the Situation in the Republic of Yemen and confirmed in its two resolutions 924 (1994) and 931 (1994) on the ceasefire and inadmissibility of resolving political disputes by force requesting to resume the dialogue between the parties to conflict. However, the regime in Sana a did not abide by these two resolutions neither by its written undertakings to the international community on the 7 th of July Then the implementation of the Document of Pledge and Accord by peaceful means was obstructed and the South was dominated by force making it a full-fledge occupation. During and after the war, the socioeconomic infrastructure was systematically destroyed. The occupation authorities, with various means, prevented any kind of development in these fields. This is not just a violation to contemporary international law but also to international human rights law. The situation has become a situation of colonization as admitted on TV by a key figure in the previous regime who declared verbatim that the situation in the South is colonization. 6. As the Southern Question is the issue of the people of South Arabia, who fought and still fighting, for the liberation, restoration of its identity, achieving independence and building a national Southern, Arab, federal, independent and sovereign state on the territory of South Arabia with the internationally recognized boundaries pre 22 nd May 1990, as internationally recognized, time has come to put an end to the suffering of the people in the South. The UN Charter contains various provisions related to the right of peoples to choose their future and self-determination as a key and fundamental human right. Among these provisions is paragraph (2), article (1), providing for To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples. This is in addition to the UN resolution related to decolonization. Based on that, it is necessary to take into consideration the popular peaceful appeals in South Arabia, which culminated on the 7 th July 2007 in the declaration of the peaceful southern movement (Southern al-hirak) calling for liberation and independence of the South, building its national, federal, democratic state on the entire territory of South Arabia, as a right enshrined in all covenants and contemporary international law. The regime in Sana a disregarded all legitimate demands of the peaceful Southern movement (al-hirak) and confronted this peaceful movement by killings, suppressions, arrests and crackdowns. Despite all that, the peaceful Southern movement (al-hirak) and its peaceful popular revolution remained distant from extremism and violence, and it will remain so. The peacefulness of our peoples movement is a strategic non-changeable option. However, following the recent occupational invasion, the people had to defend their land, honor and dignity with the aspiration to achieve independence and build a new Southern Arabia sovereign state on its territory with the international recognized boundaries along with the establishment of a South Arabia federal independent democratic state on the entire territory of South Arabia (extending from Mayyun island at Bab al-mandab Strait west to the borders of the Sultanate of Oman east, and from its international borders with Saudi Arabia and Yemen north to the Arab sea south, including all the belonging islands such as the islands of Socotra, Abd-al-kuri, Hunaish archipelago and others ). 3

4 Based on the above mentioned, Our people in South Arabia have made substantial sacrifice for the liberation, independence and the establishment of its national, federal, democratic, sovereign state on its entire national territory. The strength of the will of our people, its movement and revolution was manifested in the peacefulness of its revolutionary movement. It became evident that the war waged by the Houthi with help from Ali Abdullah Saleh against the provinces of Yemen, including the Capital Sana a, and South Arabia did not find any resistance except in South Arabia (Aden and other provinces of the South). It is a fierce resistance using light weapons against Yemeni militias and Yemeni army brigades, who use all kinds of light, medium and heavy weaponry. This resistance was and still strong as it comes against forces that came to strengthen the occupation of the South. The young people of South Arabia sacrificed their lives while in the provinces of Yemen there is no resistance because the advancement of the Houthi militias and its military brigades is considered as a coup and a conflict over power within the internal sphere of Yemen; and what is happening from some resistance in some Yemeni provinces is part of the power struggle and not a general popular resistance, but rather of conflicting power categories. All this confirms that South Arabia is an occupied territory by Yemen and that the people of South Arabia is determined to liberate its land, achieve its independence and build a new federal sovereign state of South Arabia on its internationally recognized boundaries. The people of South Arabia presented role models in its peaceful struggle to liberate its land. It is determined to defend the land against entrenching occupation through this new wave of invasion. It sacrifices for the liberation, independence and state building. Therefore, it is expecting the free world to support its struggle and to stand by it to enforce the people's will for liberation, independence and building its national independent state. The cities of Lahej, Aden, Dhala, Abyan and Shabwa became stricken cities by all standards and the unprecedented devastation has happened to these cities; at the same time the humanitarian situation, which has not experienced by our people in its history of siege, being starved, denial of access to treatment and food, the spread of epidemics in some cities of the South, particularly in Aden and Lahej. The deadly diseases such as dengue fever, typhoid, and malaria that threaten to a real catastrophe. All this happen as a result of this destructive invasion that prevents even the United Nations Relief ships from dropping off its cargo in Aden, while the international community stands as a spectator about all those crimes even a statement of condemnation was not heard from it against the perpetrators. All of this take place to break the will of our people and struggle to achieve its right to free life, independence on its land and build its own state. Our people proved its determination to win at all costs its right. We believe that negotiation / talk is the ultimate beginning to realize the objectives of our people to liberation, and independence. A forced unity, for sure, is a rejected one. Its continuation deepens the psychological traumas. It is meaningless to insist on the continuation of this structural shape known as unity on fragmented souls. Its continuation becomes destructive to the possibility of the existence of any security, stability and development. The mercy killing of this ailing non-viable structure will have a substantial effect in giving life to cordial relations between the two people. Reviving cordiality will restore co-existence and the mutual benefits between the two brotherly nations and will heal the traumas of fragmented souls. Joint interests are vast and can be developed, fostered and revived. 4

5 There is no other cure to what happened during the last two decades except that. Any localized temporary treatment will not have any effect with the exception of the effect of putting salt on the wound or adding fuel to the fire. We see that the conviction of both parties the Yemenis and the Southerners to restore the spirit of affection is more important and more feasible to all rather than to insist on the survival of an enforced unity structure which is rejected or suspended in a vacuum or contrary to brotherly relations. Therefore, it would be more useful to negotiation / talk shall take and come to understanding under regional and international auspices and cooperation in order to realize the will of the people of South Arabia and responds to its legitimate aspirations for independence and state building in accordance with the following: Foundations, controls and references: Negotiation / talk shall take place between two parties: o Yemeni: to be selected by the Yemeni parliament and shall be authorized to take decisions. o Southerner: adopting the goals of the South Arabia people's movement for liberation, independence and building the state of South Arabia. It shall take place under regional, international and global auspices and guarantees. Negotiation / talk shall be in a neutral location (such as GCC premises). The governing references for the two parties of the negotiation / talk shall be the UN Charter (article 1, paragraph 2), the contemporary international law and the will of the people of South Arabia, expressed by millions of southerners in its mass revolutionary events. The formation of a joint working group to establish a schedule program not later than six months to finalize the issues of the state building of South Arabia. The schedule shall include the following arrangements: Developing solutions to the issue of currency Restoring Southern civil and judicial registers and documents transferred to Sana a Restoring the buildings of embassies and any other properties belonging to the South Regulating electrical connection process, developing arrangements to reinstall wire and wireless communications and the international code of the South. Different utilities related to the South. Organizing the South army officers and soldiers in military units and locating them in the South. This process organizing and positioning in locations would be determined by the South. Reinstating the forcibly retired personnel and those who were excluded to these units and organize armament procedures. This applies also to the internal security forces. The South shall make appointments for different military and security leaders in different branches of armed forces and security. Making arrangements for the state employees, their institutions and transfers. Accommodate all those who were excluded or forcibly retired if below retirement age. Re-organizing the joint oil and gas projects between the two countries at the borders of Mareb-Shabwa. 5

6 Developing controls to maintain the legitimate interests of the citizens of the two states in both of them. Withdrawal of Yemeni forces from the South and handing over their camps with their assets including equipment, weapons and ammunition, to the Southern forces following military and security standards and practices under the supervision of the Southern political and military leadership as well as regional and international parties. External debt, reserve of assets and currencies etc. The same procedures shall be applied to civil institutions, departments and authorities. International conventions and relevant matters to the South. Arrangements for mutual relations and interests between the two countries shall be prepared based on the exchange of benefits. Customs between the two states. All registers and all the necessities of the South shall be handed over to the Southern party. The separation of the General Authority for Insurance and Pensions and the South's share of its property. The databases of workforce and operational costs of all government facilities in the South and affiliated institutions. Recognizing the state of the South and the establishment of diplomatic and consular relations. Our country shall regain its seat in the League of Arab States, the United Nations, specialized regional and international organizations. All other details shall be agreed upon. The agreement on the independence of the South with the establishment of its independent state shall be signed under the guarantee of regional and international parties who will be required to provide assistance as well as technical expertise to facilitate the safe and smooth transfer into the two-state situation. In our opinion, this is the best mechanism, for all parties, to demolish the wall of schism and to heal the fractures in the spirits of southerners with least costs. Negotiation / talk shall take place between two parties; the Yemeni party and the Southern party. The Southern party shall be the party adopting the Southern Question, the goals of our peaceful revolution in the liberation, independence and the establishment of a federal and democratic Southern state. Despite our knowledge that some of our Southern brothers do not agree with us in this approach but we do respect their opinions and we acknowledge their right as Southerners. However, the representation of the Southern Question shall be for those who adopt its goals and approach. In all similar cases, it never happened that those who discussed or negotiated a certain issue are others than those who adopt its aims. In Sudan, for example, the South Sudan delegation had in it only those who adopted the question of South Sudan and its right in creating its state while other leaders from South Sudan who were promoting solutions within the same unified Sudanese state were represented in the delegation of Sudan because they were promoting the one-state solution in their approach. In all similar cases in history, the situation was like that. Those who represent our peaceful revolutionary movement shall be only those who adopt its goals for the liberation, independence and the establishment of its independent federal democratic state. 6

7 Therefore, the negotiation / talk we accept, that is in accordance with the following controls and references: 1. It shall take place between two parties; a Southerner party adopting the goals of our peaceful revolutionary movement, and the other party adopting solutions within a framework of a single state of Yemen. 2. The Yemeni side shall be elected by the existing Parliament of Yemen by consensus and the delegation shall be authorized to take decisions. 3. The time frame for negotiation / talk shall not exceed 3 months. 4. Negotiation / talk shall take place in a neutral location. 5. It shall take place under regional and international auspices. 6. The governing reference for the negotiators / interlocutors shall be the UN Charter, article 1, paragraph 2, and the contemporary international law. If our brothers choose not to listen to the voice of right and justice, and the right of our Southerner people in building its independent state, then the revolutionary struggle of our people will continue and will escalate by all means until the goals of our South Arabian people are realized in liberation, independence and building of its state. The obstructing party shall bear full responsibility for its stubbornness and insistence on the continuation of a unity imposed by the force of occupation. This occupation deepens fractures and is rejecting the offer of our people to build sound and amicable relations on the basis of cordiality, mutual respect and interests between the two nations. The obstructing party is therefore undermining the factors of security, stability and sustainable development in both countries and in the region. We call upon our brothers the wise and educated people in the State of Yemen to support this invitation. We also call upon our brothers in GCC countries and other friends (G10 + 4) to stand with the voice of wisdom, which is consistent with all international, human and democratic legislations. We are calling for and demanding a legitimate right following legitimate means. This solution shall achieve security, stability and sustainable development in both countries and in the region. It will enable us of achieving the joint interests and will reciprocate benefits with the region and the world. The insistence of our brothers in Yemen in imposing a unity that is not accepted by the people of the South is something that will not succeed. It will just result in more tensions and more harmful interventions to all parties. The suppression of the will of the people of the South will only result in more determination from its side to gain liberation, independence and building of its state and its right in a free life of dignity. Abdulrahman Ali Bin Mohammed Aljifri Chairman of the Southern National Organization For libration and Independence (Alhy'ah) President of Free South Arabian League Party (ALRABITAH) 7