Doha Agreement

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Country/entity: Yemen
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Doha Agreement
Date: 1 Feb 2008
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Yemeni Civil Wars (1994) (2011 - )
The Republic of Yemen was formed in May 1990 after the merger between the Yemeni Arab Republic (YAR) in the north and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) in the south. The unification process was rushed and the final agreement between President Ali Abdullah Saleh and President Ali Salem al-Beidh was based on the imperfect promise of equality. Following the merger, integration of the militaries and civil services was at best incomplete or at times entirely non-existent. When Saleh’s General Congress Party (GPC) allied itself with the newly created Islamist Islah (‘reform’) party in 1993, the former ruling party of South Yemen – the Yemen Socialist Party (YSP) – was effectively side-lined in the 1993 General Elections. Violence involving the use of heavy weaponry and aerial bombardment erupted in April 1994 and on the 21 May 1994 Vice President al-Beidh declared the secession of the south, citing political centralization with the northern highland tribes, violence against the YSP and economic discrimination. In the midst of fighting, negotiations in Cairo, Egypt, collapsed. The war ended with the military victory of the north, and on the 1 October 1994, Ali Abdullah Saleh was elected President.

Despite the unification of Yemen in 1990, political power during the 1990s and 2000s remained centralized with the northern highland tribes, particularly the villages from which President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his confidants stemmed. The system of clientelism established through the ruling General People’s Congress party maintained relative loyalty among the fractured political allegiances of Yemen’s traditional tribal leadership. However, diminishing oil reserves and the shrinking opportunities for access to rent increased economic and political marginalization in Yemen’s peripheral communities. The degree of regionalism of conflicts is further defined by other local grievances. In the northern governorate of Sa’dah, a backlash was provoked among the local Zaydi Shi’a against Sunni Salafist cultural incursions resulting in six wars between 2004 and 2010. In the southern governorates of Hadramawt, Shabwa, al-Dhali and Abyan, civil and military personnel forcibly retired after the 1994 Civil War began protesting and eventually formed the secessionist Southern ‘al-Hiraak’ movement in 2007. Furthermore, tribal grievances have spurred attacks on oil companies and government installations to extract rents. Various takfiri groups including al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have also increased their presence since 1995.

The Yemen Spring in early 2011 allowed all these movements to express their joint displeasure. Moreover, factionalism in the regime split the already weak military and thus allowed the Houthis, the takfiris and tribal-based militia known as popular committees, to assert themselves militarily. Mandated by the UN-sponsored Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative, the National Dialogue held from March 2013 to January 2014 aimed at guaranteeing power-sharing among the different parties. However, the GCC Initiative only included formal political parties that did not accurately reflect political realities. Furthermore, provisions lacked adequate transitional justice and provided former-President Saleh, as well as others, full amnesty. As a result, little faith was placed in the process by formerly marginalized groups such as the Zaydi Shia Houthi rebels (Ansar Allah) and al-Hiraak who opted to increase their bargaining power vis-à-vis the state by strengthening their own territorial enclaves. In September 2014 the Houthis succeeded in capturing the capital Sana’a and gradually expanded their control southward. The subsequent UN-mediated Peace and National Partnership Agreement between transitional president Hadi and the Houthis on a federal, democratic Yemeni state, failed to be implemented as the Houthis successfully dissolved the parliament and deposed Hadi in January 2015. Following the Saudi military intervention to restore the Hadi government in March 2015, ceasefire attempts continuously failed. A two-year deadlock ensued until negotiations between the Houthis and the government of Yemen finally culminated in the Stockholm Agreement in December 2018. However, throughout 2019 the Saudi-led coalition continues to launch airstrikes. Furthermore, in May 2017 the Southern al-Hiraak movement had declared the secessionist formation of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), seizing the interim-capital Aden by January 2018. Territorial divisions between the Yemeni government, the Houthis, forces affiliated with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, local militias and tribes have continued to fracture the country.
Stage: Ceasefire/related
Conflict nature: Government
Peace process: Yemen peace process
Parties: Unsigned copy of agreement, supplementary text states that representatives of the Government of Yemen and Huthi representatives signed the agreement.
Third parties: Unsigned, supplementary text states 'Text of agreement produced by Qatari mediation'
Description: This short ceasefire agreement provides for the terms of ceasefire, which does not specify the commencement or duration of the ceasefire. Conditions include a general amnesty, demobilization, reconstruction, and respect for freedom of opinion, amongst other specifics.

Agreement document: YE_080201_DohaAgreement.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: Groups→Disabled persons→Substantive
Page 1, Article 2
...search for [discovery of] the missing people and care for injured/wounded people; and release of corpses by whomever possesses them.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: Groups→Refugees/displaced persons→Rhetorical
Page 1, 3.
Life [should] return to normal in the regions [of conflict], and everyone [should] return to his area, and live as safe citizens, as all the other citizens in the regions of the republic.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: Governance→Constitution→Constitution affirmation/renewal
Page 1, 6.
Respect for freedom of opinion, to include the right to establish a political party in accordance with the constitution and the laws in force in the country.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: Human rights and equality→Civil and political rights→Vote and take part
Page 1, 6.
Respect for freedom of opinion, to include the right to establish a political party in accordance with the constitution and the laws in force in the country.
Human rights and equality→Civil and political rights→Thought, opinion, conscience and religion
Page 1, 6.
Respect for freedom of opinion, to include the right to establish a political party in accordance with the constitution and the laws in force in the country.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: Rights related issues→Citizenship→Citizen, general
Page 1, 3.
Life [should] return to normal in the regions [of conflict], and everyone [should] return to his area, and live as safe citizens, as all the other citizens in the regions of the republic.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: Rights related issues→Media and communication→Media roles
Page 1, 7.
The arrival of ‘Abd al-Malik al-Huthi, Yahya al-Huthi, ‘Abd al-Karim al-Huthi, and ‘Abdallah ‘Izza al-Razzami to Qatar, without undertaking any political or media activity hostile to Yemen and without leaving Qatar except after the agreement of the Yemeni government.

Page 1, 8.
Cessation of all matter of media campaigns and acts of provocative incitement.
Mobility/access: Page 1, 7.
The arrival of ‘Abd al-Malik al-Huthi, Yahya al-Huthi, ‘Abd al-Karim al-Huthi, and ‘Abdallah ‘Izza al-Razzami to Qatar, without undertaking any political or media activity hostile to Yemen and without leaving Qatar except after the agreement of the Yemeni government.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: Page 1, 6.
Respect for freedom of opinion, to include the right to establish a political party in accordance with the constitution and the laws in force in the country.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: Socio-economic reconstruction→Development or socio-economic reconstruction→Infrastructure and reconstruction
Page 1, 9.
The Yemeni government will undertake the reconstruction of what the war has destroyed and the treatment of its effects;
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: Page 1, 9.
...the praiseworthy state of Qatar will undertake to contribute to a fund for the rebuilding of the affected areas and for the compensation of those affected [by the fighting], and this fund will be open to the contributions of Arab and friendly states.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
[Summary: the agreement in its entirety provides for the conditions of a ceasefire, the duration of which was not specified.]

Page 1, 1.
Cessation of military operations; and adherence, of the Huthi and those with him, to the republican order [system], the constitution and the laws in force in the country.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: Security sector→DDR→Demilitarisation provisions
Page 1, 5.
The relinquishment of medium weapons, along with their ammunition, to the state.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: Page 1, 1.
Cessation of military operations; and adherence, of the Huthi and those with him, to the republican order [system], the constitution and the laws in force in the country.

Page 1, 2.
Ending of the rebellion;
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: Transitional justice→Amnesty/pardon→Amnesty/pardon proper
Page 1, 2.
...implementation of the general amnesty decision;
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: Page 1, 2.
...the release of prisoners, except for those charged in cases turned over to the general prosecutor or under consideration by the courts;
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: Page 1, 2.
...search for [discovery of] the missing people and care for injured/wounded people; and release of corpses by whomever possesses them.
Missing persons: Page 1, 2.
...search for [discovery of] the missing people and care for injured/wounded people; and release of corpses by whomever possesses them.
Reparations: Transitional justice→Reparations→Material reparations
Page 1, 9.
...the praiseworthy state of Qatar will undertake to contribute to a fund for the rebuilding of the affected areas and for the compensation of those affected [by the fighting], and this fund will be open to the contributions of Arab and friendly states.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: “Waqf al-Qital fi Sa‘da wa-l-I‘lan ‘an al-‘Afu,” al-Ayyam, June 17, 2007; International Crisis Group, “Yemen: Defusing the Saada Time Bomb,” Middle East Report 86, May 27, 2009

English translation coded from Salmoni, Barak A., Loidolt, Bryce, Wells, Madeline. Regime and Periphery in Northern Yemen: The Huthi Phenomenon (Santa Monica, Arlington, Pittsburg: RAND Corporation, 2010), pp. 315-316

APPENDIX F

Conflict Ceasefire Conditions

Doha Agreement, 2007–2008

Text of agreement produced by Qatari mediation, summer–fall 2007.

GoY-Huthi representatives also met in Qatar in January–February 2008.

The Doha agreement was signed on February 1, 2008.

1. Cessation of military operations;

and adherence, of the Huthi and those with him, to the republican order [system], the constitution and the laws in force in the country.

2. Ending of the rebellion;

implementation of the general amnesty decision;

and the release of prisoners, except for those charged in cases turned over to the general prosecutor or under consideration by the courts;

and search for [discov- ery of] the missing people and care for injured/wounded people;

and release of corpses by whomever possesses them.

3. Life [should] return to normal in the regions [of conflict], and everyone [should] return to his area, and live as safe citizens, as all the other citizens in the regions of the republic.

4. Extension of the state’s general order in the region, as in all other regions of the republic.

5. The relinquishment of medium weapons, along with their ammunition, to the state.

6. Respect for freedom of opinion, to include the right to establish a political party in accordance with the constitution and the laws in force in the country.

7. The arrival of ‘Abd al-Malik al-Huthi, Yahya al-Huthi, ‘Abd al-Karim al-Huthi, and ‘Abdallah ‘Izza al-Razzami to Qatar, without undertaking any political or media activity hostile to Yemen and without leaving Qatar except after the agreement of the Yemeni government.

8. Cessation of all matter of media campaigns and acts of provocative incitement.

9. The Yemeni government will undertake the reconstruction of what the war has destroyed and the treatment of its effects;

the praiseworthy state of Qatar will undertake to contribute to a fund for the rebuilding of the affected areas and for the compensation of those affected [by the fighting], and this fund will be open to the contributions of Arab and friendly states.