UN Statement After the Visit to Iran

التالى السابق

UN Perspective Amid Southern People Demand

Analytics - 3 month ago

Intended Negligence or Efforts for Solution

South Eye | Analysis

Instead of imposing your solution, you must convince me of your justifications, the benefits, and the national interests. But if you don't let me explain my rationale and logical perspective regarding Yemen's long-term instability, how can a meaningful resolution be reached?

The Yemeni unity declared in May 1990 is one of the most prominent examples of failed political projects built on coercion rather than mutual understanding and respect. What was promoted as a strategic choice for integration between the north and south quickly turned into a tool for domination and control, creating a new reality defined by force and exclusion. By examining events and facts, it becomes clear that the partnership between southerners and northerners within the Yemeni government is unworkable and that unity fundamentally violates the will of the southern people.

When Yemeni unity was announced, hopes were pinned on a fair and balanced partnership between the two former states: the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in the south and the Yemen Arab Republic in the north. However, these hopes were shattered when the 1994 war broke out. The regime in Sana'a used military force to subjugate the south after its decision to declare disengagement. This war was not merely a military confrontation; it was a blatant declaration that unity was not a voluntary choice but a coercive project imposed through arms.

The 1994 war did not just end the idea of political partnership; it entrenched a new reality of marginalization and tyranny over the south. The mass dismissals of southern military leaders and the systematic destruction of southern infrastructure after the war were not incidental consequences but deliberate policies aimed at eliminating any chance for the south to regain its strength or determine its destiny.

Since the declaration of unity, successive governments in Sana'a have prioritized policies that consolidate their authority rather than adopting developmental policies that benefit the people. The Yemeni military, one of the state's largest institutions, is a glaring example of this approach. Efforts were concentrated on building a military loyal to the Sana’a regime, while thousands of southern soldiers and officers were systematically dismissed and excluded.

These policies were nothing more than attempts to tighten the north’s grip on the south. Resources were allocated for projects that reinforced dominance, such as digging military trenches and constructing camps, while the south was left to suffer from deteriorating infrastructure and a lack of basic services, a reality that persists today under the framework of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). These practices clearly demonstrated that the goal of unity was not to build a united, prosperous nation but to subjugate the south and exploit its resources.

Furthermore, the Houthi-Saleh invasion of Aden and southern provinces in 2015 was not an isolated event but an extension of the repressive policies upon which unity had been built since its inception. The Houthi invasion, in collaboration with forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh (of the General People's Congress Party), underscored that the relationship between the north and the southern people was not a partnership but a hegemonic relationship enforced through violence.

The assault on the south during the recent war demonstrated that Sana’a, with all its political and military factions, views the south merely as exploitable geography rather than as a partner in governance or development. Southern resistance to this invasion and the successful liberation of their territories reaffirmed the south’s rejection of this imposed relationship.

Unity Against the Will of the Southern People

Accumulated events and experiences have proven that Yemeni unity is not a project born out of the southern people’s will but one imposed by force and coercion. Policies following the declaration of unity, from marginalizing southern leaders to exploiting and looting resources, have clearly shown that unity was merely a facade for an expansionist project aimed at subjugating the south.

True unity cannot be achieved through coercion but must be built on mutual respect and understanding, which has not occurred in the Yemeni case to this day. Instead, unity has become a source of injustice, corruption, and oppression, turning the south into a marginalized and exploited region.

Today, the southern people face a pivotal choice: either continue to accept a reality imposed upon them by force or demand their right to self-determination and the restoration of sovereignty over their land. Yemeni unity in its current form is nothing but a failed project that has proven over the decades to be based on subjugation rather than partnership.

If the United Nations and the international community are genuinely committed to resolving the Yemeni conflict, they must recognize the southern people’s right to choose their future, free from domination and coercion. These rights are not merely political demands; they represent democratic and human rights approaches, principles the international community has upheld in other regions of the world.

The question that remains unanswered is this: Why does the international community fail to apply these values and principles to the fair demands of the southern people? If stability and justice are the goals, then acknowledging the southern people's right to self-determination must be integral to any long-term solution.