World Report 2011 - Human Rights Watch

WORLD REPORT 2011forces in May alone. In July police in Aden killed one man when they fired on apublic funeral march for Ahmad Darwish, who allegedly died from torture in lateJune following his arrest after AQAP’s attack on the Aden intelligence facility.Photographs appeared to show bruises covering Darwish’s body. From May to Julythe army blockaded southern areas of al-Dhali’, Lahj, and parts of Shabwa. SomeSouthern Movement activists erected road blocks and called for civil unrest, closinggovernment offices, schools, and shops. In June the army repeatedly shelledal-Dhali’ city center, leading to several civilian casualties.Conflict in the NorthOn February 12, Huthi rebels and government forces in the northern Sa’da governorateagreed to a truce, ending six months of heavy fighting, which was the sixthround of violence since June 2004. In August both sides agreed to a 22-point planto implement the truce, including releasing all prisoners. In June Yemeni NGOspresented a list of 249 persons they said the government had tried, or was trying,in connection with the Sa’da conflict, despite expectations under the truce thatthey would not face punishment. A further 86 remained detained without knowncharges. Despite the truce, skirmishes between Huthis and the army or armybackedtribal militias led to scores of civilian and fighter casualties.As of mid-August the conflict had displaced just under 330,000 people, almosthalf of whom fled between August 2009 and February 2010. Only a few displacedpersons went to official camps; more than 80 percent live with host families or inopen spaces, schools, and mosques. Aid agencies reported struggling to reachthem due to insecurity and access restrictions imposed by officials, local tribes,and rebels. By August over 16,000 displaced persons were known to havereturned home.Between November 2009 and January 2010 Saudi forces became a party to thearmed conflict and prevented persons seeking refuge from crossing its border,forcing thousands back to Yemen, according to media reports.Government forces and Huthi fighters recruited children for combat. Huthi fightersreportedly carried out summary executions and endangered civilians by firingfrom populated areas. Government forces reportedly conducted indiscriminate604