Languages of Yemen - Foreign Relations

Foreign Relations

The geography and ruling Imams of North Yemen kept the country isolated from foreign influence before 1962. The country's relations with Saudi Arabia were defined by the Taif Agreement of 1934, which delineated the northernmost part of the border between the two kingdoms and set the framework for commercial and other intercourse. The Taif Agreement has been renewed periodically in 20-year increments, and its validity was reaffirmed in 1995. Relations with the British colonial authorities in Aden and the south were usually tense.

The Soviet and Chinese Aid Missions established in 1958 and 1959 were the first important non-Muslim presence in North Yemen. Following the September 1962 revolution, the Yemen Arab Republic became closely allied with and heavily dependent upon Egypt. Saudi Arabia aided the royalists in their attempt to defeat the Republicans and did not recognize the Yemen Arab Republic until 1970. At the same time, Saudi Arabia maintained direct contact with Yemeni tribes, which sometimes strained its official relations with the Yemeni Government. Saudi Arabia remained hostile to any form of political and social reform in Yemen and continuing to provide financial support for tribal elites

In February 1989, North Yemen joined Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt in forming the Arab Cooperation Council (ACC), an organization created partly in response to the founding of the Gulf Cooperation Council and intended to foster closer economic cooperation and integration among its members. After unification, the Republic of Yemen was accepted as a member of the ACC in place of its YAR predecessor. In the wake of the Persian Gulf crisis, the ACC has remained inactive. Yemen is not a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council mainly for its republican government

Yemen is a member of the United Nations, the Arab League, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and also participates in the nonaligned movement. The Republic of Yemen accepted responsibility for all treaties and debts of its predecessors, the YAR and the PDRY. Yemen has acceded to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

The invasion of Kuwait crisis in 1990 dramatically affected Yemen's foreign relations. Yemen's President, Ali Abdullah Saleh opposed military intervention from non-Arab states As a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 1990 and 1991, Yemen continued to abstain on a number of UNSC resolutions concerning Iraq and Kuwait and voted against the "use of force resolution.". The Vote outraged the U.S

Subsequent to the liberation of Kuwait, former president Saleh continued to maintain high-level contacts with Iraq. This hampered its efforts to rejoin the Arab mainstream and to mend fences with its immediate neighbors. Saudi Arabia actively aided the south during the 1994 civil war Since the end of that conflict, tangible progress has been made on the diplomatic front in restoring normal relations with Yemen's neighbors. In the summer of 2000, Yemen and Saudi Arabia signed an International Border Treaty settling a 50 year old dispute over the location of the border between the two countries. Yemen settled its dispute with Eritrea over the Hanish Islands in 1998.

Since 2004, a civil war has been fought in Northern Yemen between Yemeni forces and Zaydi Houthi rebels. In 2009, the war spilled over into the neighboring border region of Saudi Arabia after accusations by the Shiite rebels of providing support to salafi groups to suppress Zaydism in Yemen Saleh's government used Al-Qaeda in its wars against Hothis and UNDP Yemen report a growing problem of civilians fleeing from the region.

Some news reports have suggested that, on orders from United States President Barack Obama, US warplanes fired cruise missiles at what officials in Washington claimed were Al Qaeda training camps in the provinces of Sana’a and Abyan on 17 December 2009. Instead of hitting Al-Qaeda operatives, it had a village killing 55 civilians Officials in Yemen said that the attacks claimed the lives of more than 60 civilians, 28 of them children. Another airstrike was carried out on 24 December.

On 3 January 2010, the U.S. and British embassies in Yemen closed for security reasons after the failed plot to bomb a plane in Detroit and after reports of eight individuals planning an attack on the embassy itself. One was arrested with a suicide vest, while three others were killed. Four remained at large as of 4 January 2010.

Despite these tensions between the US and Yemen, as well as increasing worries about terrorism in Yemen, President Obama has stated that he has no plans to introduce US military forces into the country, a sentiment that was echoed by US General David Petraeus the US government increased military aid to $140 million in 2010 By 2012, however, under the Obama administration, there has been an increase in drone strikes against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen, as well as a "small contingent of U.S. special-operations troops" in addition to CIA and "unofficially acknowledged" U.S. military presence in response to increasing terror attacks by AQAP on Yemeni citizens. The Americans found that former president Saleh had been draining them. By 2006, The U.S decided that Yemen was no longer a threat to national security and cut foreign aid for Saleh's corruption and lack of reform, The former Yemeni leader was not pleased. A week after the U.S's decision, 23 al Qaeda suspects tunneled out of a maximum-security prison The U.S knew that the prisoners have had inside help. Nevertheless, al Qaeda was once again a substantial threat and over the coming months the United States was forced to redirect its attention and aid dollars to Yemen A lot analysts have pointed out the former Yemeni government role in cultivating terrorist activity in the country in 2012 Abyan offensive, The new president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Yemeni military was able to recapture the governorate. Yet, former president Saleh continue to hinder the new government effort as his sons are still running security sectors in the country

The geopolitical significance of Yemen (primarily its straits and oil fields) keeps this country in the sphere of U.S. strategic interests. Control over the Aden port – the "gate to Asia" – brings huge benefits to the USA and opens infinite possibilities for maneuvering in front of them. However, America is not the only nation to be interested in Yemen. China is trying hard to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean by associating with countries across the region including Yemen.