Riyadh agreement between the legitimate Government of Yemen and the Southern Transitional Council (STC)

• Country/entity

  Yemen
  
• Region

  Middle East and North Africa
  
• Agreement name

  Riyadh agreement between the legitimate Government of Yemen and the Southern Transitional Council (STC)
• Date

  5 Nov 2019
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/intrastate conflict ( Yemeni Civil Wars (1994) (2011 - ) )
• Stage

  Framework/substantive - partial
• Conflict nature

  Government/territory
• Peace process

  Yemen peace process
• Parties

  The two parties in the Agreement; the government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC)
• Third parties

  The two parties in the Agreement;
  Met under the auspices of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 20/8/2019 to 24/10/2019 in response to the Kingdom’s invitation to discuss their differences
  
  In confirmation of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen's role, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in responding to the legitimate elected President, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, to protect Yemen and its people from the continued attacks by the Houthi militia, backed by the Iranian government, and to build on the political, military, security, relief and developmental successes, primarily regaining control of the majority of Yemeni territories;
• Description

  A power sharing agreement between the Government of Yemen and the Southern Transitional Council which attempts to relocate control of Yemen's southern territories through the restructuring of governing bodies. Three detailed and substantive appendices provide for: formation of political institutions in the interim capital Aden and a number of other southern provinces, distribution of state resources and reform of military and security forces.

• Agreement document

  YE_191105_Riyadh_Agreement_between_the_legitimate_government_of_Yemen_and_the_transitional_council.pdf | Download PDF
• Agreement document (original language)

  YE_191105_Riyadh_Agreement_between_the_legitimate_government_of_Yemen_and_the_transitional_council_ar.pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

Riyadh Agreement between the legitimate government and the Southern Transitional

Council (STC)

The two parties in the Agreement;

Met under the auspices of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 20/8/2019 to 24/10/2019 in response to the Kingdom’s

invitation to discuss their differences, use wisdom and dialogue, dispel disunity, end incitement

and unite the ranks;

Give the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen’s commitment to three references:

the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its execution mechanisms, the conclusions of the

comprehensive national dialogue, and the UN Security Council Resolution 2216, related

resolutions, and the decisions of the Riyadh conference;

In confirmation of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen’s role, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in responding to the legitimate elected President, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, to

protect Yemen and its people from the continued attacks by the Houthi militia, backed by the

Iranian government, and to build on the political, military, security, relief and developmental

successes, primarily regaining control of the majority of Yemeni territories;

And due to the necessity to activate the state institutions, the two parties declare their complete

commitment to the following:

1. Activating the role of all Yemeni state authorities and institutions based on the political

and economic arrangements outlined in the first appendix of this Agreement.

2. Reorganise the Military Forces under the leadership of the Ministry of Defence, based on

the military arrangements outlined in the second appendix of this Agreement.

3. Reorganise the Security Forces under the leadership of the Ministry of Interior, based on

the security arrangements outlined in the third appendix of this Agreement.

4. Committing to the complete citizenship rights of all Yemeni people, rejecting territorial

and doctrinal discrimination and division and discord.

5. Ending all offensive media campaigns of all types and by all parties.

6. Uniting efforts, under the supervision of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen to

restore security and stability in Yemen and to confront terrorist organisations.

7. Forming a committee under the supervision of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in

Yemen, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, specialising in monitoring, executing and

implementing the provisions of this Agreement and its appendices.

8. Joining the Southern Transitional Council in a government delegation to discuss the final

political solution to end the coup staged by the Iranian government-backed terrorist

Houthi militia.

9. The Yemeni President will issue instructions to all of the state institutions to implement

this Agreement and its stipulations immediately upon signing this Agreement.

Appendix 1:

Political and economic arrangements

1. Formation of a technocratic government with no more than 24 ministers.

The President

will appoint its members after deliberation with the Prime Minister and political

components.

The ministerial portfolios must be equally distributed between the

southern and northern municipalities.

The government formation must be carried out

within 30 days after signing this Agreement.

Those chosen must be proven to be honest,

qualified and possess experience relevant to the ministerial portfolio, as well as not have

been involved in any combat or inciting activities during the Aden, Abyan and Shabwa

incidents.

Members of the government must take their oath before the President in Aden

the day after the government formation.

2. The Yemeni President will appoint the governor and the head of the Aden municipality

within 15 days of the date this Agreement was signed based on standards of

qualification and integrity and through deliberations.

He will also appoint a governor for

Abyan and Dhale within 30 days after this Agreement is signed in order to improve the

quality of work.

3. The current Prime Minister will begin his duties in the temporary capital, Aden, within

no more than 7 days from the date this Agreement is signed in order to activate all of the

state institutions in the various liberated municipalities to serve the Yemeni people and

pay the salaries and financial dues to all military, security and civil sectors in the state

and its institutions, located in the temporary capital of Aden and all liberated

municipalities.

4. The Yemeni President will appoint governors and municipality heads in the remaining

southern municipalities, based on standards of qualification and integrity and through

deliberations, within 60 days of signing this Agreement.

5. State resources, including collecting and depositing all state revenues, including oil, tax

and customs revenues, in the Central Bank in Aden, spending based on the approved

budget, in accordance with Yemeni law and presenting a regular report that is

transparent regarding government revenues and spending to the parliament for

evaluation and audit, regional and international experts and specialists must contribute

and provide necessary advice in this regard.

6. Activating the central agency for audit and accountability, enriching it with honest and

professional individuals and re-forming the national anti-corruption body and activating

its monitoring role.

7. Re-forming and activating the Supreme Economic Committee, as well as reinforcing it

with qualified, experienced, honest, and independent individuals.

The committee will be

associated with the Prime Minister to support financial policies and combat corruption.

Appendix 2:

Military arrangements

1. All forces that moved from their original locations and camps towards Aden, Abyan and

Shabwa since the beginning of August 2019 will return to their former positions, including

all of their members and weapons.

They will be replaced by the Security Forces of the local

authority in every municipality within 15 days of signing this Agreement.

2. Collecting and moving medium and heavy artillery weapons from all military and Security

Forces in Aden within 15 days of signing this Agreement to camps inside Aden, determined

and supervised by the leadership of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen.

Such

weapons include tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery, thermal missiles and heavy and

medium artillery weapons.

3. Moving all government Military Forces and STC military formations in Aden municipality to

the camps outside of Aden, determined by the leadership of the Coalition to Support

Legitimacy in Yemen within 30 days of signing this Agreement.

They must also be

instructed based on the plans approved and under direct supervision of the leadership of

the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen.

This excludes the first brigade, which

provides protection to the president.

It will be tasked with protecting the presidential

palaces, their surroundings and securing the movements of the President.

They are also

tasked with providing security protection to the STC leadership in Aden, under the

supervision of the leadership of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen.

4. Uniting the Military Forces mentioned in Clause 3, numbering them and adding them to the

Defence Ministry, followed by issuing the necessary resolutions and distributing them

based on the agreed upon plans under direct supervision of the leadership of the Coalition

to Support Legitimacy in Yemen within 60 days of signing this Agreement.

5. Re-organising the Military Forces in the Abyan and Lahij governorates under the leadership

of the Defence Ministry in accordance with the same measures taken in Aden within 60

days of signing this Agreement.

6. Re-organising the Military Forces in the remaining southern governorates under the

leadership of the Defence Ministry in accordance with the same measures taken in Aden

within 90 days of signing this Agreement.

Appendix 3:

Security Arrangements

1. The Police and Rescue Forces in the Aden governorate will be responsible for securing

the governorate and working on re-organising government forces and STC formations

based on the need and security plan.

It will choose its members based on qualification

and professionalism and will train them.

These forces will be associated with the head of

security in the governorate and will be numbered at Security Forces associated to the

Ministry of Interior within 30 days of signing this Agreement.

2. Re-organising the Special and Counter-Terrorism Forces in the Aden governorate and

choosing new members from the legitimate forces and STC formations.

They must be

trained, a commander appointed and numbered as Security Forces associated with the

Interior Ministry, taking into consideration their confidentiality regarding counterterrorism units (which will take over counter-terrorism operations and contribute to

securing Aden) within 30 days of signing this Agreement.

3. Re-organising the forces responsible for protecting the facilities under a united force

named (Facility Protection Force) within 30 days of signing this Agreement in

accordance with the following:

• The members of the force will be chosen based on the qualifications of the

current officers in the current force, in the legitimate forces, or in the STC

formations.

• This force will be tasked with the complete protection of the civilian facilities,

protection of the government headquarters, central bank, Aden ports, Aden

Airport, ministry headquarters and state institutions in Aden.

• This force will be associated with the Interior Ministry and will be numbered as

per the Security Forces associated with it.

4. The facility protection force will take over protection of the remaining civilian and vital

facilities in the remaining liberated governorates and the Mukalla, Dhabba, Mocha and

Balhaf ports within 90 days of signing this Agreement.

5. Uniting and redistributing the security force, numbering them, associating it with the

Interior Ministry and issuing the necessary resolutions within 60 days of signing this

Agreement.

6. Re-organising the Security Forces in the Abyan and Lahij governorates under the

leadership of the Interior Ministry in accordance with the same measures implemented

in the Aden governorate within 60 days of signing this Agreement.

7. Re-organising the Security Forces in the rest of the southern governments that are not

listed in the Interior Ministry lists under the leadership of the Interior Ministry in

accordance with the same measures implemented in the Aden governorate within 90

days of signing this Agreement.