• Country/entity

  Yemen
  

• Region

  Middle East and North Africa
  

• Agreement name

  Agreement between al-ʿAwlaqī Tribe and al-Qaeda

• Date

  2 May 2014

• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed

• Interim arrangement

  Yes

• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/local conflict ( Yemeni Civil Wars (1994) (2011 - ) )

• Stage

  Ceasefire/related

• Conflict nature

  Inter-group

• Peace process

  Yemen Inter-group Agreements

• Parties

  al-ʿAwlaqī Tribe: Sheikh Abū Bakr Farīd al-ʿAwlaqī, Chief of the al-Ṣaʿīd District, ʿAlī Bin Hammad al-ʿAwāliq
  
  al-Qaeda: Ahmad ʿĀṭif al-ʿĀtīqī, al-Habashī al-Bārās [al-ʿAwlaqī], Sāliḥ bin Bilʿaīd al-Sālimī.

• Third parties

  -

• Description

  An agreement betweeen the ʿAlī Bin Hammad al-ʿAwāliq and al-Qaeda, aimed at preventing violence in the areas inhabited by the al-Awlaki Tribe. Sets out provisions aimed at restricting assembly, giving safe harbour and preventing hostile acts between the two groups.

• Agreement document

  YE_140502_al-Awlaqi Tribes and al-Qaeda agreement_EN.pdf | Download PDF

• Agreement document (original language)

  YE_140502_al-Awlaqi Tribes and al-Qaeda agreement_AR.pdf | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

• Process type

  Informal but persistent process
  

• Rationale

  The agreement displays the local practice of prominent societal figures or religious figures (in this case a Sheikh) calling or inviting parties to discussions and meetings aimed at reaching an agreement. Persistent practice or a culture of signing local agreements also appears to exist between other tribes and al Qaeda at this time. A number of other tribes affected by the same issues outlined in this agreement were reported to be making clear statements of intent at the same time, across multiple districts in two governorates, Shabwah (province in this agreement) and Abyan. The author of the reference refers to 'agreements' between a number of tribes and al Qaeda taking place.

• Is there a documented link to a national peace process?

  T

• Link to national process: articulated rationale

  The text outlines the proposal for the agreement and minutes of the meeting to be handed to a government body in the governorate. As distinct government figures, the body includes Minister of Defence and the Chairman of the National Security Service. With this said, there is no explicit details in the agreement set out for how this body will support the agreement.

• Name of Locale

  al-Ṣaʿīd district, Shabwah governorate (coordinates for Ataq city - see jusitfy or query)

• Nature Of Locale

  Region

• GPS Lat/Long (DD)

  14.530176, 46.829856

• Participant type

  Local armed group
  Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder
  

• Mediator, facilitator or similar

  Mediator or similar referred to

  Mediator (references)

  The text describes Sheikh the chief of the al-Ṣaʿīd District, Abū Bakr Farīd al-ʿAwlaqī as inviting parties to the agreement and people from the area in question to the agreement meeting.

  Type of mediator/facilitator/similar

Local issues

Agreement between Al-ʿAwlaqī Tribe and Al-Qaeda

At the invitation of Sheikh Abū Bakr Farīd al-ʿAwlaqī, Chief of the al-Ṣaʿīd District, a meeting was held for the people of ʿAlī Bin Hammad al-ʿAwāliq in the area of Bārās al-ʿAwāliq in al- Ṣaʿīd to assess the repercussions of recent events between al-Qʿaidah [al-Qaeda] and the forces of the Yemeni Army in Shabwah [Governorate].

The meeting [called for] a halt on the scourge of war in order to spare a l-Ṣaʿīd District and to examine the situation and the recent developments with al-Qaeda in the presence of the al-Qaeda leaders in Shabwah led by Ahmad ʿĀṭif al-ʿĀtīqī - brother of the al-Qaeda leader Saʿad ʿĀṭif, Emir of the al-Qaeda Organisation in Shabwah - the aide, al-Habashī al-Bārās [al-ʿAwlaqī], and commander Sāliḥ bin Bilʿaīd al-Sālimī, who agreed to the following:

It is strictly forbidden to assemble al-Qaeda in al-Ṣaʿīd [District] and Wādī Yashbim at all.

It is strictly forbidden to undertake military actions in al-Ṣaʿīd District, in her valleys or on her people.

It is strictly forbidden for individuals from the tribes of ʿAlī Bin Hammad al-ʿAwāliq belonging to al-Qaeda to harbour any foreigner in the al-Ṣaʿīd District.

As long as members of al-Qaeda belong to the tribes of ʿAlī Bin Hammad al-ʿAwāliq in al-Ṣaʿīd District they will stay in their homes and not commit hostile acts against anyone, unless they are subject to such acts.

If they are assaulted in the safety of their homes in al-Ṣaʿīd they will be perceived as individuals from the tribes of ʿAlī Bin Hammad al-ʿAwāliq before they are considered members of the al-Qaeda Organisation

The signed minutes will be delivered to the government currently present in Shabwah, which is represented by the Minister of Defence, the Chairman of the National Security Service, the Governor of Shabwah Governorate, the Commander of the Military Police Units and the Commander of the Third Military Region.