Ceasefire Agreement for the Governorate of al-Hajjah between Ansar Allah and the legitimate Government of Yemen, signed in Dhahran al-Janoub

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Country/entity: Yemen
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Ceasefire Agreement for the Governorate of al-Hajjah between Ansar Allah and the legitimate Government of Yemen, signed in Dhahran al-Janoub
Date: 2 Apr 2016
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/territory
Peace process: Yemen peace process
Parties: Representative of Ansarallah and their Allies, Hasan Saleh Almarrani and Ali Al-Qahoom;
Legitimate Government Representative, Brigadier General Askar Zu'ail
Third parties: Coalition Countries under the leadership of Saudi Arabia
Description: Short ceasefire agreement for the governorate of Hajjah between the Hadi Government and the Ansar Allah/GPC Alliance.

Agreement document: YE_160402_Ceasefire Agreement for the Governorate of al-Hajjah.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
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: No specific mention.
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: No specific mention.

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: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: Rights related issues→Media and communication→Other
Page 1, 5. Telephone numbers were exchanged between the parties for more coordination between the parties.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

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: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
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] Entire Agreement is a ceasefire agreement.

Page 1, 1. Cease fire (Cessation of Hostilities) in all fighting sectors in the Governorate of Hajja effective 2200 on Saturday, 24/6/1437 Hegira

Page 1, 2. Full cessation of all military actions including military enforcements and mobilization by any party and from any direction and area.

Page 1, 3. Both parties agreed to meet again on Sunday, 25/6/1437 Hegira to discuss the cease fire preparation proposal in Hajja Governorate with the presence of both parties in Dhahran Aljanoub identifying locations of breaking engagement and drawing the separating lines between the two parties in Hajja Governorate.

Page 1, 4. Both parties agreed to resolve issues of any potential violations, identifying their locations and holding violators accountable.

Page 1, 5. Telephone numbers were exchanged between the parties for more coordination between the parties.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: Page 1, 2. Full cessation of all military actions including military enforcements and mobilization by any party and from any direction and area.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
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: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
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: On file with Author

In the Name of Allah Most Gracious Most Mericiful

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and peace and blessings be upon the last Prophet and Messenger.

With the Grace of Allah, an agreement was reached today, Saturday, 24/6/1437 Hejira corresponding to 2/4/2016 Gregorian among the Yemeni brothers:

First Party:

Representative of the Legitimate Government Second Party:

Representatives of Ansarallah and their Allies

Cease fire (Cessation of Hostilities) in all fighting sectors in the Governorate of Hajja effective 2200 on Saturday, 24/6/1437 Hegira

Full cessation of all military actions including military enforcements and mobilization by any party and from any direction and area.

Both parties agreed to meet again on Sunday, 25/6/1437 Hegira to discuss the cease fire preparation proposal in Hajja Governorate with the presence of both parties in Dhahran Aljanoub identifying locations of breaking engagement and drawing the separating lines between the two parties in Hajja Governorate.

Both parties agreed to resolve issues of any potential violations, identifying their locations and holding violators accountable.

Telephone numbers were exchanged between the parties for more coordination between the parties.

In conclusion, both parties thank the Coalition Countries under the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their efforts in seeking to stabilize the cease-fire and achieving peace in Yemen in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2216.

Both parties ask that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continue its brotherly role in monitoring [the implementation of] what has been agreed upon and host monitoring, coordination and observer teams of the cease fire providing them with the necessary support.

Allah is the leader to success.

Written on 24/4/1437 corresponding to 2/4/2016 in Talhah, Dhahran Aljanoub.

First Party

Legitimate Government Representative Brigadier General Askar Zu'ail

Second Party

Representative of Ansarallah and their Allies Hasan Saleh Almarrani and Ali Al-Qahoom