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Arabia
Yemen ceasefire strained over arms handover
2008-05-24
A deal that ended six months of fighting between Yemeni government forces and Shi'ite Muslim rebels last month is close to collapse amid disagreements over the handover of weapons and prisoners.
They really thought Mahmoud was going to hand over his shootin' irons?
Rebels loyal to Abdul Malik al-Houthi accepted a truce on June 16, halting clashes that have killed hundreds and displaced thousands in Yemen's northern province of Saada this year.

But members of a mediation committee comprised of Yemeni parliamentarians and three officers from Qatar, which helped broker the ceasefire, said the rebels had missed deadlines to hand over weapons and withdraw from some of their positions. "The Houthi followers are not serious and have not withdrawn from any position or handed over their weapons despite the fact that we gave them more than one chance to comply," committee spokesman Yaser al-Awadi told Reuters.
Can you say, "hudna"?
Houthi said in a statement late on Tuesday that his followers had withdrawn from 52 positions in Saada and that the mediators were "rushing". He accused the army of violating the truce by attacking his followers and said mediators had not taken action to stop it.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh told reporters last week that the rebels had until last Thursday to hand in their arms but the deadline was extended until the end of Tuesday.

The ceasefire agreement requires the rebels to give up their heavy weapons and rebel leaders to go into temporary exile in Qatar. It also commits the government to rebuilding Saada province, which the rebels say is neglected by authorities.

Sultan Hijam, another committee member, said the rebels had demanded the army leave the remote province before they leave their the mountain hideouts.

A source close to Houthi said the rebels had handed over 61 government soldiers and tribesmen captured during the clashes in a show of goodwill on Tuesday, but that more time was needed to build confidence as many rebels feared the army would attack as soon as they gave up their arms and came down from the hills. "Some are concerned they will face reprisals from tribesmen who support the government should they return home," said the source, who declined to give his name. "It also seems that the army is preparing for a new war so our members our concerned."

The conflict in Saada has been raging on and off since 2004. In 2006, Yemen freed over 600 rebels in an amnesty but the latest bout of fighting broke out in January when Houthi's supporters attacked government checkpoints they complained had been installed deep inside the province as a provocation.

Sunni Muslims make up the majority of Yemen's 19 million population, while most of the rest, including Houthi and his supporters, are from the Zaydi branch of Shi'ite Islam. Houthi's supporters oppose Yemen's alliance with the United States. Yemeni officials say they want to return to a form of clerical rule prevalent in the country until the 1960s. Western diplomats say the rebels may also want more autonomy.
Posted by:Fred

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