Unification Day

Friday was National Unification Day here in Yemen. On the 22nd of May in 1990, the northern Yemen Arab Republic joined with the People’s Democratic Republic in the south, thereby forming the present day republic of Yemen. Ali Abdullah Saleh was made president of the newly formed nation by popular vote on the same day.

Like other nations in the Middle East and elsewhere, Saleh has been able to hold on to power, and remains Yemen’s President to this day. His figure is prominently displayed around town, and it seems that people genuinely like the guy. Even so, it is likely that his ability to stay in power has been due at least in part (or for the most part) to his access to newspapers and other media outlets. During elections, the media is used to promote his campaign and ensure that everyone knows of his accomplishments and how great he has been for Yemen.

From what little public criticism I have seen of the campaigns, people are not frustrated with any supposed rigging at the ballot box itself. They focus more on the fact that Saleh has effectively endless resources in comparison to any candidate running against him. They do not argue that he is a malevolent dictator, but do reason that because he is able to maintain power election after election there is a void of new ideas and effective criticism of the government. However valid his claim to power might be and whether or not the Yemeni people might vote for another president if campaign rules were different, the US supports a united Yemen and recognizes Saleh, considered an ally in the “war on terror,” as the properly-elected head of state. The US is probably just happy to have someone who seems fairly serious about fighting terrorism, even if that means elections are not what they could be.

In order to celebrate the holiday, the government marched soldiers and tanks up and down the main street with fighter jets whizzing by over head to show how unified the country is (yes, a bit of tongue in cheek). In 1994, conflict with tribes and other groups in the south erupted into civil war. While Saleh was able to hold the country together and bring back a certain level of unity, rebellion still exists in small pockets in the south. These groups have been responsible for killing fellow Yemenis simply because they were not from southern provinces. One street vendor was gunned down earlier this year while sitting next to his fruit stand. (Friendly fact: There are three times as many guns in Yemen as there are people. That comes to around 70 million guns.) A friend here told me that they sometimes stop cars on the highways and ride away in the vehicles, leaving the innocent travelers stranded. The mountainous terrain in the areas where most of these incidents occur are ideal for hiding and k’niving.

The Yemeni government has engaged in skirmishes with these groups from time to time, and since the beginning of the year there have been perhaps a dozen deaths total of police officers, military personnel, and “insurgents.” Al-Qaida has apparently offered to support the movement if it is agreed that any new southern state would be ruled under Sharia Law. The offer was made in the past several weeks, but I haven’t heard anything new in that vein.
With this backdrop to the festivities, the government did their best to show that Yemen is indeed unified. Military personnel with uniforms from all areas of the country (north and south) paraded in front of the president, smartly saluting him. The fighter jets that flew over the festivities apparently flew down over the southern provinces as well, showing the length of Sana’a’s arm. Passionate speeches were also given by religious and military leaders which centered on the importance of that day of unification in 1990 and of the strength of the Yemeni people today as they continue to stand together.

For the most part, Yemenis really are united under a common flag, and the violence a few in no way represents the way most Yemenis think and feel. I haven’t met one person who feels that the country should be divided or that violence is justified to impose Sharia Law (or that Sharia Law is at all desirable for that matter). It is sad that the beliefs and actions of a small group have put such a dark mark on this wonderful country. Anyone you talk to who has been to Yemen and who has spent time with these people knows that you cannot find any more hospitable people on the earth. I have been blown away by their generosity and good nature. That coupled with the beautiful countryside and fascinating history should make this an attractive tourist destination. Hopefully that will be a reality in the near future.