Context in Yemen

Recent news reports have been focusing on the conflict in Yemen, and the potential for an escalation of US involvement. These reports, however, usually provide little historical context that might help in understanding current events. For two centuries Yemen was subjected to invasion, division and colonization. Several foreign governments have intervened militarily on behalf of different factions. These are not situations conducive to stability or peace. Hopefully, by learning from history, we can avoid past crimes and mistakes.

Yemen has been largely muslim for over a thousand years, with Islam arriving around 630. From roughly 900 the territory was ruled by Imams from the Zaidi sect of Shia Islam. At several points, the country was invaded and occupied by various powers, with the longest being by the Ottomans, which lasted several hundred years and largely ended in 1630 through Zaidi resistance. Throughout this period, even during occupations, the Zaidi imamate remained and had a great deal of local support and influence.

During the nineteenth century, the Ottoman Empire invaded and occupied northern Yemen. In 1832, British forces captured the south port of Aden, which they used to provide refuelling for British East India Company ships en route to India. Their control was later expanded to the surrounding land, and colonization was increased. The British established the Aden Protectorate in 1886 which comprised the southern territory.

It should be noted that the parts of the country referred to as "northern" and "southern" Yemen are probably more accurately described as "eastern" and "western" Yemen, respectively, when viewed on a map. The southern and northern designations likely came about because the Ottomans invaded from the north and the British came in from the south, starting with the southern port of Aden.

In 1904 a treaty was signed between the Ottoman and British empires establishing a border between the two territories. The Zaidi Imamate began to rebuild its forces and local tribes began to engage in guerrilla warfare against both occupiers. However, both the British and Ottomans worked to make deals with local leaders, often reinforced with threats or bribes. The goal was to maintain control and prevent a unified resistance.

The Ottoman empire began to collapse near the end of World War I, and in 1918 Turkish troops withdrew from northern Yemen. Local Zaidi Imam Yahya Muhammad took control in the north and established the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen, also known as North Yemen. The British remained in control of the south, however, initially as part of British India, until 1937, afterwards as a separately administered colony.

During the late fifties and early sixties, pressure grew for the British to leave. Arab nationalists, many who were inspired by Egyptian President Nasser, began to fight and agitate against British rule. Britain worked to unite the territory in its Protectorate and many states were incorporated into the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South in 1959. This is the territory that would later become South Yemen.

In the North, Crown Prince Muhammad al-Badr, grandson of Imam Yahya Muhammad, was deposed by revolutionary nationalist forces in 1962, and the Yemen Arab Republic was established, also known as North Yemen. Egypt provided troops to solidify nationalist rule. Saudi Arabia and Jordan supported the royalists, leading to the North Yemen Civil War. Egyptian forces would withdraw by 1967 and the Republic was recognized by Saudi Arabia by 1970.

In the south, the National Liberation Front (NLF) was formed to fight the British. Later a rival group, the socialist Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen (FLOSY) also began to fight the British, but also began fighting the NLF in a bid for power. After the closure of the Suez Canal in 1967, the British finally began to withdraw. The NLF managed to defeat the FLOSY and gain power and the southern state was renamed the People's Republic of South Yemen. Ironically the socialist FLOSY had been defeated, yet a marxist wing of the NLF gained control and the country took the socialist route anyway.

Despite the cold war ideological divide, relations between the North and South were never as poor as between East and West Germany. Discussions on unification began before the Berlin Wall fell, and once the cold war ended, unification was rapidly achieved. The unified Republic of Yemen was established in early 1990. A new constitution was written, and ratified by the people in 1991. Elections were held in 1993. Unfortunately tensions were high in the new government, and many in the south wanted to secede. This led to civil war in 1994, with the south declaring itself a separate state. Southern forces were defeated, however, and the civil war ended after a few months.

During the civil war, Saudi Wahhabis supported the fight against the south. Wahhabism is a form of Sunni Islam. The Zaidi are Shia muslims, and they form a majority of the population in the northern state of Sa'dah, which borders Saudi Arabia. Today there is a new civil war in Yemen, which begin in 2004 when Zaidis in Sa'dah launched an uprising against the Yemeni government.

Recently the US has provided arms and support to the Yemeni government and launched airstrikes against targets in the North. Rebels claim that these strikes have resulted in many civilian casualties. The US, on the other hand, has accused the rebels of involving Al-Qaeda, and has suggested it may need to send in troops. There have also been clashes between northern rebels and Saudi forces along the border. At the same time, there is a revived separatist struggle in the south. In other words, there is now essentially a three-way civil war going on between the Yemeni government and Shia rebels in the North and Socialist rebels in the South.

Yemen has a long and complex history, which I have only touched on in this article. The past couple hundred years, especially, have been violent and oppressive. The past cannot be undone, and two hundred years of conflict and occupation cannot be overcome quickly or easily. If we can learn anything from history, however, it is that foreign military involvement is likely only to make things worse. Additionally, if foreign militaries do not intervene, none of the factions would have any motivation to engage in external terrorist acts. The future of Yemen, and whatever state or states might result, should be left to the Yemeni people.