1. Country Profile

Capital : Sanaa 
Population: 24,133,492 (July 2011 est.)
Ethnic groups: pred. Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans
Religions: Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shia), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu
Regime Type: Republic
 
Head of state: President Ali Abdallah SALIH (since May 1990 )
Prime Minister: Ali Muhammad MUJAWWAR (since March 2007)
Parliament (Last Elections 2003) Next Elections to be held: Later in 2011 (postponed since 27 April)
General People's Congress (corporatist, status-quo oriented, 238) , Islah (Islamic tribal, 47) , Yemeni Socialist Party (socialist, 6), Independents (5), Nasserite Unionist Party (3), National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party (2)
Freedom House Ranking: NOT FREE
 
GDP / Capita: $1,118
Literacy Rate: 50%.
Unemployment Rate: 35 %
Human Development Index (2010): 0.439 (133rd)
 

Protests and Governmental Changes

2. Current Political Situation
 
- Yemen's foreign minister said it might be difficult to hold elections as scheduled on February 21 because of insecurity in the impoverished country
- Thousands of Yemenis demonstrated this week in several cities voicing their rejection of a Gulf Arab deal to grant President Ali Abdullah Saleh immunity from prosecution;The parliament is yet to convene to ratify the law. Granting amnesty to perpetrators of war crimes and human rights abuses under Yemen's presidential power transition deal would be against international law, the United Nations human rights chief said
- Fighting between radical elements and Al Houthi rebels has raged over the past months in the northern town of Dammaj, south of Sa'ada. At least 71 people were killed in clashes that erupted in mid-October,
Dozens of Al Qaida militants have seized a small town about 170km southeast of Yemen's capital Sana'a.The capture of Radda expands militant control outside the southern province of Abyan, where they have taken over several towns since an uprising against President Ali Abdullah Saleh began early last year that culminated with a power transfer deal in November.
-Yemen’s interim unity government of Mohammad Salem Basindowah, is shouldered with the responsibility of returning the country to political and financial stability
- Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh has agreed to authorize his deputy Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi to form a unity government approval of the GCC plan. The government spokesman Al Janadi confirmed that his government is all set to comply with the UN Security Council resolution 2014, but stipulated it should be applied collectively, calling upon the opposition leaders, who are overseas, to come back. He also accused breakaway units of the army of killing more than 14 people and injuring dozens in the city of Taez last week.
- Tens of thousands of people protested in the capital Sana’a last Sunday to denounce government’s continuing crackdown on the protesters in Taez and calling for the arrest of Saleh and his aides for killing the protesters. Activists in Taez organised another massive rally. Both rallies were peaceful.
-  President Saleh had agreed several times to sign the GCC deal but back-pedalled on the promise every time. The deal provides Saleh, his family and close aides immunity from prosecution.
Until this moment more then 150 killed in the demonstrations since the beginning of the uprisings.
 
- Tawakul's Nobel Peace Prize draws attention to the role of women in the Arab Spring uprisings — they have rebelled not only against dictators but against a traditional, conservative mindset that fears women as agents of change
 
- The EU (Foreign Affairs Council, 10th October) urges all parties to cease hostilities, refrain from all violence, respect international human rights standards and abide by a permanent ceasefire, throughout the country. Those responsible for violence against peaceful protesters must be held accountable and be brought to justice. The EU calls on the President immediately to sign and implement the GCC initiative, without preconditions. It remains seriously concerned by the dramatically deteriorating humanitarian situation, including that of refugees and internally displaced persons, and in particular the alarming levels of malnutrition.
 
-The United Nations Human Rights Council’s condemned in a resolution  the violations in Yemen without referring to the Violators, both by military forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh or tribal fighters and defected army. Prominent NGOs consider the resolution fails to call for measures to  protect the civilian population and should urge for the establishment of an international, independent and impartial Commission of Inquiry.
 
-On the 1 July tens of thousands of Yemenis turned prayers into rallies for and against President Ali Abdullah Saleh
 
-There were serious doubts that the President Saleh who sustained serious injuries in an attack on the presidential compound on the 3 June and received medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, will return as president. The opposition insisted he wiould not be allowed to rule the country again. Meanwhile the power was transferred to the Vice President of Yemen Hadi. 
 
-Yemen's parliament approved a request by President Saleh to impose emergency law for 30 days. The law gives security forces far-reaching powers to arrest and detain suspects, suspends the constitution, allows media censorship and bars street protests.
 
-The United States, which has long seen Saleh as a bulwark against a dynamic Al Qaida network in Yemen, has condemned the bloodshed and backed the right for peaceful protest. 4 foreign journalists (2 American and 2 Briton) were deported because of their coverage of a growing uprising against the country's longtime ruler.
 
Yemen is a presidential republic with a bicameral legislature.  The President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is the head of state, and the Prime Minister is the head of government. He was in power for the last 32 years. He has once again postponed the parliamentary elections (they were foreseen for April 2011). The position of the president looks less secure than at any time since the 1994 civil war.
Emboldened by events in Tunisia and Egypt, protesters have been increasingly directing their ire at Mr Saleh personally.
Aside from the domestic political disputes, the regime is also confronted by security challenges. In the south, Yemen faces a rising secessionist movement, while tribal groups such as  Zaydi Huthis rages in the northern province of Sa`da. Meanwhile, al-Qa`ida has made Yemen its most active operational node, finding sanctuary in the Arab world’s poorest state.
Compounding these destabilizing forces is a wide range of systemic problems, including a failing economy, rampant corruption, endemic unemployment, widespread governance deficiencies and abuses, rapid resource depletion, and one of the highest population growth rates in the world.
 
3. Key issues
 
Protesters have called for the ouster of Saleh, who has ruled Yemen since 1978. The country has been wracked by a Shiite Muslim uprising, a U.S.-aided crackdown on al Qaeda operatives and a looming shortage of water. High unemployment fuels much of the anger among a growing young population steeped in poverty. The protesters also cite government corruption and a lack of political freedom.
 
Yemen is facing an unprecedented confluence of crises. The country’s problems include religious and tribal conflict, separatism, and transnational smuggling, international terrorism, and violent extremism.
 
4. EU / Yemen Relations
 
The EP passed a Resolution on 7 April 2011 supported by the S&D Group condemning violence against peaceful protestors.
 
The current framework for economic and political cooperation is the 1989 EU-GCC cooperation agreement
 
The EU is Yemen's third most important trade partner (11%/ all Trade, 2009) after China (16.6%) and India (12.7%). Yemen exports mostly Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials to the EU, while Yemen imports mostly Machinery and transport equipment.
 

5. Like-minded partners
 
A. Sister party and/or progressive counterpart
 
The Socialist International reaffirms its solidarity with progressive and democratic forces in Yemen, amongst them the SI member Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), in the wake of renewed protests against the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, calling for genuine change to take place, leading to a more democratic and open society
 
B. Civil society
 
C. FES
 
FES-Büro Sana'a, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, P.O.Box 45 53 Sana'a, Yemen  Tel. 00967 / 1 29 15 64 232
Updated: 18.1.12