Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

Yemen
The government of Yemen faced a multitude of challenges in 2010. Yemen’s
economy remains overly reliant on declining oil revenue, though the signing of a
comprehensive reform programme with the International Monetary Fund signalled
progress. Commitment to political inclusion and stability, incorporated in the
National Dialogue, stalled towards the end of 2010 with disagreement over electoral
reform. Ongoing conflict in both the north and south of Yemen and the continuing
presence of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula persist in destabilising the country.
Reports from NGOs and the media showed that the government continued to
perpetrate human rights abuses in response to conflict, demonstrations and media
criticism, which included violent dispersal of demonstrations in Aden and extrajudicial
processes to manage political opposition.
Although the recent round of conflict in Sa’dah, northern Yemen, between Huthi
rebels – a Zaidi sect in dispute with the government – and government forces has
ceased, there are approximately 300,000 internally displaced persons. Humanitarian
access to the area remains restricted. Tensions remain high in the region, with the
possibility of further conflict, and we are concerned that civilians may be caught up in
armed conflict. Yemenis are frustrated by economic, social and political issues, and
in southern Yemen grievances are aggravated by the reportedly heavy-handed
tactics of the security forces. We are concerned by arbitrary detention of suspects,
the use of live rounds to suppress demonstrations, state control over the freedom of
the press and restrictions on freedom of expression.
The government of Yemen rarely prioritises respect for human rights. In response to
the increasing threat of extremism and growing internal instability in Yemen, we
organised the London Friends of Yemen Conference in January, to coordinate
international support for the Yemeni government’s efforts to address the underlying
causes of instability. We launched the Friends of Yemen group, comprising 28
countries and international institutions. We identified freedom of expression,
opportunities for women, protection of civilians in conflict and promotion of human
rights within the security services as key human rights areas where we hope to
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