Yemeni civil war (1994)

Yemeni civil war (1994)
	Part of the effects of the Cold War and the Arab Cold War
	; Southern separatist soldiers taking cover behind a T-55 tank
Date	4 May – 7 July 1994; (2 months and 3 days)
Location	Yemen
Result	Unionist Yemeni victory Reaffirmation of Yemeni unification under a northern government; Purge of Yemeni socialism and the left; Further tensions in Yemen eventually lead to a Yemeni crisis and outbreak of another civil war;
Belligerents
Yemen; Jihadists Islamic Jihad in Yemen; Supported by:; United States; Jordan; Qatar; Egypt; Libya; Sudan; Iran; India	Democratic Republic of Yemen; Supported by:; Saudi Arabia; Oman; Lebanon; Iraq; Kuwait; Bahrain; UAE; Cuba; North Korea; China
Commanders and leaders
Ali Abdullah Saleh ; Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar ; Abdul Majeed al-Zindani; Tariq al-Fadhli	Ali Salem al Beidh ; Ali Mohammed Assadi
Casualties and losses
931 soldiers and civilians killed; 5,000 wounded (N. Yemen claim)	6,000 fighters and 513 civilians killed
	7,000–10,000 dead; Unknown number of socialist and separatist civilians executed

The Yemeni civil war of 1994 (Arabic: الحرب الأهلية اليمنية (1994)), known in Yemen as the 1994 Summer War (Arabic: حرب صيف 1994), was a civil war fought between the two Yemeni forces of the pro-union northern and the socialist separatist southern Yemeni states and their supporters. The war resulted in the defeat of the southern separatists and the reunification of Yemen, and the flight into exile of many leaders of the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) and other separatists.

Background

South Yemen had witnessed 2 civil wars that led to regime changes in the 1980s. As a result, serious moves toward reconciliation and unification began. And in December 1989, the president of North Yemen and South Yemen signed a draft constitution and agreed to a one-year timetable for unification.^[10]

Approval for the union was overwhelming in the South, but the northern Islamist party Al-Islah objected due to the new constitutional clause making Islamic law "a principal source of legislation" rather than the sole source. Eventually the YAR's parliament approved the constitution and, the Republic of Yemen (ROY) was declared on 22 May 1990^[4]^: 12 with Ali Abdullah Saleh becoming president and Ali Salem al Beidh Vice President. Greater Yemen had been politically united for the first time in centuries. Yemen held its first parliamentary elections on April 27, 1993, which confirmed the southerner fears. Former President of South Yemen, Ali Salim Al-Beidh's party (Yemeni Socialist Party, YSP) won only 54 of the 301 parliament seats, while former president of Northern Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh's General People's Congress (GPC) took 122 seats and a northern Islamist-tribal alliance, Al-Islah, captured 62 seats. Saleh, Beidh, and Attas retained their positions but Al-Islah's influential leader, the Sheikh Abdullah ibn Husayn al-Ahmar of the Hashid tribal confederation, became speaker of the parliament. The former 50–50 split between the GPC and YSP became an uneven three-way partnership.^[10]

Relations between Saleh and many Left-wing politicians soured over the next years. The President eventually began to enlist Islamists to weaken his opponents, and allowed them to build up a presence in the country.^[2] Jihadists consequently assassinated several Southern communists.^[1]

Vice President Ali Salem al Beidh withdrew to Aden in August 1993 and said he would not return to the government until his grievances were addressed. These included northern violence against his Yemeni Socialist Party, as well as the economic marginalization of the south. Negotiations to end the political deadlock dragged on into 1994. The government of Prime Minister Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas, the former South Yemen Prime Minister, became ineffective due to political infighting.

An accord between northern and southern leaders was signed in Amman, Jordan on 20 February 1994, but this could not stop the crisis. During these tensions, both the northern and southern armies–which had never integrated–gathered on their respective frontiers.^[11]

Events

Ali Abdullah Saleh speech of 1 May 1994, Members of the Third Armored Brigade

On 27 April, a major tank battle erupted in Amran, near Sana'a. Both sides accused the other of starting it. On 4 May, the southern air force bombed San'a and other areas in the north; the northern air force responded by bombing Aden. President Saleh declared a 30-day state of emergency, and foreign nationals began evacuating the country.^[12] Vice President al-Beidh was officially dismissed. South Yemen also fired Scud missiles into San'a, killing dozens of civilians.^[13] Prime Minister Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas was dismissed on May 10 after appealing for outside forces to help end the war.^[12]

On 20 May 1994, northern forces claimed to have overrun Al Anad Air Base, one of the key entry points to Aden. Later that day, President Saleh announced a three-day ceasefire for the occasion of the Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday.^[14]

Southern leaders seceded and declared the Democratic Republic of Yemen (DRY) on 21 May 1994.^[15] Saleh responded by calling on Islamists to support his cause, with several factions coming to the aid of the North.^[1]

No international government recognized the DRY. In mid-May, northern forces began a push toward Aden. The key city of Ataq, which allowed access to the country's oil fields, was seized on May 24.^[16] The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 924 calling for an end to the fighting and a cease-fire. A cease-fire was called on 6 June, but lasted only six hours; concurrent talks to end the fighting in Cairo collapsed as well.^[12] Northern troops and Jihadist forces led by Tariq al-Fadhli entered Aden on 4 July, factually ending the conflict.^[1] Supporters of Ali Nasir Muhammad greatly assisted military operations against the secessionists. After Aden's fall, most resistance quickly collapsed and top southern military and political leaders fled into exile.

Despite the civil war being a short conflict, it was brutal and fought fiercely.^[1] Virtually all of the fighting in the civil war occurred in the southern part of the country, despite air and missile attacks from the south against cities and major installations in the north. Southerners sought support from neighbouring states and reportedly received military assistance from Saudi Arabia and Oman, which felt threatened by a united Yemen^[4]^: 82 The United States repeatedly called for a cease-fire and a return to the negotiating table. Various attempts, including by a UN special envoy and Russia, were unsuccessful to effect a cease-fire.^[4]^: 87

Aftermath

President Saleh had gained control over all of Yemen. A general amnesty was declared, except for 16 southern figures; legal cases against four — Ali Salem al Beidh, Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas, Abd Al-Rahman Ali Al-Jifri, and Salih Munassar Al-Siyali — were prepared, for misappropriation of official funds.

YSP leaders within Yemen reorganized following the civil war and elected a new politburo in July 1994. However, much of its influence had been destroyed in the war. President Ali Abdallah Saleh was elected by Parliament on 1 October 1994 to a 5-year term. However, he remained in office until 2012.

As of 2007, a group called the South Yemen Movement calling for the secession of the south and the re-establishment of an independent southern state has grown in strength across many parts of south Yemen, leading to an increase in tensions and often violent clashes.^[17]

Notes

^ Not to be confused with Islamic Jihad of Yemen.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Said 2018, p. 106.
^ ^a ^b Said 2018, p. 105.
^ Embassy of Yemen - Yemeni-American relations Archived 2015-07-09 at the Wayback Machine, "[In mid-nineties...] Washington demonstrated favorable intentions concerning Yemen. That became evident when the U.S. fully supported the Yemeni unity against the failed Separatist attempt in the summer of 1994."
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o Jamal S. al-Suwaidi, ed. (1995). The Yemeni War of 1994: Causes and Consequences. Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research. ISBN 0863563007.
^ ^a ^b Korea Economic Research Institute (South Korea) (27 November 2002). Constitutional Handbook on Korean Unification, Volume 1. 길잡이미디어. p. 703. ISBN 8980312636. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia started to support this secessionist movement until reconciliation with President Salih
^ Whelan, John (6 August 1999). "Oman in 1994". www.britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2 April 2017. During the Yemeni civil war, from May 5 to July 7, Oman urged other Persian Gulf states to recognize the breakaway southern republic.
^ ^a ^b Al-Muslimi, Farea (5 January 2016). "A History of Missed Opportunities: Yemen and the GCC". Carnegie Middle East Center. Retrieved 2 April 2017. All GCC member states, with the exception of Qatar, would offer financial and political support to the secessionists, although Saleh soon gained the upper hand and won the war.
^ "Yemen Civil War Caused Almost 6,000 Northern Casualties." Associated Press, July 12, 1994.
^ "Saleh down plays Yemeni war death toll." AFP, July 12, 1994.
^ ^a ^b "North and South Yemen: Lead-up to the Break-up - WRMEA". Retrieved 10 April 2018.
^ "Yemen timeline". BBC News. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c The Middle East and North Africa, 2004, p. 1221
^ "Five Scuds fired at Yemeni capital as war worsens - The Guardian, 7 April 1994". Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
^ "SOUTH YEMEN FORMALLY QUITS NORTH". Washington Post. 21 May 1994. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
^ Storrs, dahlia designs - Sarah. "Yemeni Community Association". www.yca-sandwell.org.uk. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
^ "North Yemeni Troops Seize Oil Field Center; Region Controls Country's Chief Resource | Article from The Washington Post". Archived from the original on 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
^ "Policemen killed in south Yemen in clash with rebels". News. UK: BBC. 2010-03-01.

Works cited

Said, Behnam T. (2018). Geschichte al-Qaidas. Bin Laden, der 11. September und die tausend Fronten des Terrors heute [History of al-Qaeda. Bin Laden, the 11th September, and the thousand fronts of terror today] (in German). Munich: C.H. Beck. ISBN 978-3-406-72585-2.

External links

Yemeni Civil War - 1994
The Birth of Modern Yemen - The outbreak of war Archived 2015-07-27 at the Wayback Machine

[3] Not to be confused with Islamic Jihad of Yemen.

[FOOTNOTESaid2018106-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Said 2018, p. 106.

[FOOTNOTESaid2018105-2] Said 2018, p. 105.

[embassy-4] Embassy of Yemen - Yemeni-American relations Archived 2015-07-09 at the Wayback Machine, "[In mid-nineties...] Washington demonstrated favorable intentions concerning Yemen. That became evident when the U.S. fully supported the Yemeni unity against the failed Separatist attempt in the summer of 1994."

[CandC-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o Jamal S. al-Suwaidi, ed. (1995). The Yemeni War of 1994: Causes and Consequences. Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research. ISBN 0863563007.

[Kuwait-6] Korea Economic Research Institute (South Korea) (27 November 2002). Constitutional Handbook on Korean Unification, Volume 1. 길잡이미디어. p. 703. ISBN 8980312636. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia started to support this secessionist movement until reconciliation with President Salih

[7] Whelan, John (6 August 1999). "Oman in 1994". www.britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2 April 2017. During the Yemeni civil war, from May 5 to July 7, Oman urged other Persian Gulf states to recognize the breakaway southern republic.

[GCC-8] Al-Muslimi, Farea (5 January 2016). "A History of Missed Opportunities: Yemen and the GCC". Carnegie Middle East Center. Retrieved 2 April 2017. All GCC member states, with the exception of Qatar, would offer financial and political support to the secessionists, although Saleh soon gained the upper hand and won the war.

[9] "Yemen Civil War Caused Almost 6,000 Northern Casualties." Associated Press, July 12, 1994.

[10] "Saleh down plays Yemeni war death toll." AFP, July 12, 1994.

[wrmea.org-11] "North and South Yemen: Lead-up to the Break-up - WRMEA". Retrieved 10 April 2018.

[12] "Yemen timeline". BBC News. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2018.

[ReferenceA-13] The Middle East and North Africa, 2004, p. 1221

[14] "Five Scuds fired at Yemeni capital as war worsens - The Guardian, 7 April 1994". Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-03-09.

[15] "SOUTH YEMEN FORMALLY QUITS NORTH". Washington Post. 21 May 1994. Retrieved 15 August 2021.

[war-16] Storrs, dahlia designs - Sarah. "Yemeni Community Association". www.yca-sandwell.org.uk. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2018.

[17] "North Yemeni Troops Seize Oil Field Center; Region Controls Country's Chief Resource | Article from The Washington Post". Archived from the original on 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2009-03-09.

[18] "Policemen killed in south Yemen in clash with rebels". News. UK: BBC. 2010-03-01.

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v t e List of modern conflicts in the Middle East
1910s	Italo-Turkish War World War I Middle Eastern theatre Battle of Robat Karim Arab Revolt Armenian genocide Assyrian genocide Mount Lebanon starvation Unification of Saudi Arabia Simko Shikak revolt 1919 Egyptian revolution Turkish War of Independence Anglo-Turkish War Al-Jazeera Front Greco-Turkish War Turkish–Armenian War Franco-Turkish War Revolts United States Mahmud Barzanji revolts
1920s	Franco-Syrian War Iraqi Revolt (1920) Intercommunal conflict in Mandatory Palestine Adwan Rebellion Arab separatism in Khuzestan Great Syrian Revolt Sheikh Said rebellion
1930s	Ararat rebellion Ahmed Barzani revolt Simele massacre Saudi–Yemeni War (1934) Goharshad Mosque rebellion 1935–1936 Iraqi Shia revolts 1935 Yazidi revolt 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine Dersim rebellion
1940s	World War II Italian bombing of Palestine Allied invasion of Iraq Syria–Lebanon campaign Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran 1943 Barzani revolt Al-Waziri coup Al-Wathbah uprising Kurdish separatism in Iran Iran crisis of 1946 Arab–Israeli conflict 1948 Arab–Israeli War Suez Crisis 1967 Six-Day War 1973 Yom Kippur War 1982 Lebanon War
1950s	1952 Egyptian revolution 1953 Iranian coup d'état Jebel Akhdar War Cyprus Emergency Suez Crisis Yemeni–Adenese clan violence 1958 Lebanon crisis 1958 Iraqi revolution 1959 Mosul uprising
1960s	Cyprus crisis of 1963–1964 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict First Iraqi–Kurdish War Second Iraqi–Kurdish War Dhofar Rebellion North Yemen civil war Feb. 1963 Iraqi coup Mar. 1963 Syrian coup Nov. 1963 Iraqi coup Aden Emergency 1964 Hama riot Israeli–Palestinian conflict 1948 Palestine war First Intifada Second Intifada 1966 Syrian coup d'état
1970s	Black September in Jordan Yemenite War of 1972 Turkish invasion of Cyprus Shatt al-Arab clashes Lebanese Civil War Political violence in Turkey Islamist uprising in Syria 1977 Shia uprising in Iraq NDF Rebellion Yemenite War of 1979 Iranian Revolution Consolidation of the Iranian Revolution 1979 Qatif Uprising Grand Mosque seizure 1979–1980 Shia uprising in Iraq
1980s	Iran–Iraq War 1980 Turkish coup d'état Kurdish–Turkish conflict Turkey–PKK conflict South Yemen civil war 1986 Egyptian conscripts riot 1986 Damascus bombings 1987 Sharjawi coup d'état attempt Mecca massacre Abu Nidal's executions
1990s	Gulf War (1990–1991) 1991 Iraqi uprisings Terror campaign in Egypt (1990s) Yemeni Civil War (1994) Iraqi Kurdish Civil War Islamic insurgency in Saudi Arabia (2000–present) Operation Desert Fox al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen 1999 Shia uprising in Iraq
2000s	Iraq War Balochi insurgency in Iran 2004 Qamishli riots Houthi insurgency in Yemen Iran–Israel proxy conflict 2006 Lebanon War Fatah–Hamas conflict South Yemen insurgency
2010s	2011 Bahraini uprising Egyptian Crisis Sinai insurgency Insurgency in Egypt (2013–present) Syrian civil war Turkish involvement in Syria Syrian War spillover in Lebanon Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013) War in Iraq (2013–2017) Islamic State insurgency in Iraq (2017–present) Yemeni crisis Yemeni civil war (2014–present)
2020s	2021 Beirut clashes Israel–Hamas war Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present) Red Sea crisis
This list includes World War I and later conflicts (after 1914) of at least 100 fatalities each Prolonged conflicts are listed in the decade when initiated; ongoing conflicts are marked italic, and conflicts with +100,000 killed with bold.