Ta'iz Ceasefire Agreement

  • Country/entity
    Yemen
  • Region
    Middle East and North Africa
  • Agreement name
    Ta'iz Ceasefire Agreement
  • Date
    16 Apr 2016
  • Agreement status
    Multiparty signed/agreed
  • Interim arrangement
    Yes
  • Agreement/conflict level
    Intrastate/local conflict ( Yemeni Civil Wars (1994) (2011 - ) )
  • Stage
    Ceasefire/related
  • Conflict nature
    Government/territory
  • Peace process
    Yemen peace process
  • Parties
    Islah MP/NDC Member, Abdulkareem Shaiban
    Southern Group NDC Member, Ali Mohammed Ahmed Al Ma’amari
    Chairman of the of the De-escalation and Ceasefire Committee, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Nayef
    Republican Guard, Brigadier Zakaria Al Muta’a
  • Third parties
    United Nations, GCC
  • Description
    A Second ceasefire agreement drafted for the city of Ta'iz following the exclusion of key militias in the nationwide ceasefire agreements signed at Dharan al-Janoub 6 days earlier. Commits to opening the roads from Ta'iz and communication between the two sides to avoid violations.

Local agreement properties

  • Process type
    Formal structured process
  • Rationale
    There is formality described in the text as committees are to be formed by the parties involved, in order to ensure enforcement. There is also a provision set out for the governorate committee to support the effort as a backstop arrangement. This agreement is connected to a push from the national level process to implement a number of ceasefire agreements in multiple provinces. This agreement in part reflects a level of universal acceptance among a range of local actors, as it attempts to address the omission of fighting groups from the original national agreement and include all locally influential fighting groups. Persistent practice can be seen based on this effort and on the comprehensive involvement of actors in these agreements around this time; southern secessionist, religious militias, government forces and the Houthis all appear to be engaged throughout 2016.
  • Is there a documented link to a national peace process?
    Yes
  • Link to national process: articulated rationale
    Firstly while there is no specific mention in the agreement text, the reference to the national agreement is explaining why this agreement is being carried out to support the national process. There is also a precedent to justify a link on the basis that there is involvement of local actors among the signing parties, with a clear stance towards the wider conflict - primarily the southern groups signing. Further for all of these local ceasefire agreements in the sub-set, there is a provision in the national text which outlines the implementation of a De-escalation and Coordination Committee, which would consist of military and official government individuals with the aim of coordinating with local committees to encourage implementation. It is possible that this presence is always involved across these agreements, whilst not always explicitly mentioned in the text. They will not be coded here as a type of mediator / facilitator as in each case it is not always clear if they have been involved, as the national document plans. This agreement emanates from an initial national level agreement which lays out ceasefire provisions for a number of provinces. There is formal reference in the text which denotes the meeting for this agreement upholding the arrangements and values set out in the national level agreement. The United Nations is also a third party. Additionally, many of the ceasefire agreements at this time focus on the opening up of roads in regard to humanitarian access, and this tends to be an inherent part of the national process. Ta'iz is a focal point of this effort and the text describes provisions for the main roads to Sana'a and Hudaydah being secured and reopened. This issue has tended to be an ongoing focus of agreements at the national level, with much discussion ongoing in UN led talks, around how to ensure main highway access between Ta'iz and other key cities. In relation to national focuses of ensuring Ta'iz becomes a safer space (as it has absorbed a substantial amount of the fall out from the conflict) this agreement also reflects the need to involve all local actors in this type of agreement and part of ensuring Ta'iz is truly in keeping with the aims of the national process, is recognising that Ta'iz is densely populated with so many of Yemen's warring factions and parties. They all have a presence in Ta'iz.
  • Name of Locale
    Ta'iz governorate
  • Nature Of Locale
    Region
  • GPS Lat/Long (DD)
    13.577494, 44.017906
  • Participant type
    Local state actor
    Local armed group
    Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder
  • Mediator, facilitator or similar
    No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

  • Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture)
    Page 1, Untitled preamble, In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate the Most Merciful
  • Grievance List
    [Summary] (1) demilitarisation of armed presences in the areas addressed by the agreement (2) the securing and opening of roads and checkpoints in a timely manner to ensure arrival of key supplies to the people
  • Cattle rustling/banditry

    No specific mention.

  • Social cover

    No specific mention.

Ta’iz Ceasefire Agreement

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate the Most Merciful

During their meeting held on Saturday Rajab 9, 1437 corresponding to April 16, 2016 and pursuant to their agreement concluded in Dhahran Al Janoub on Rajab 3, 1437 corresponding to April 10, 2016, the Two Parties to this agreement have agreed to ceasefire in Taiz and to put this agreement in place.

The Two Parties have also agreed to the following:

1- The Two Parties shall ceasefire and prevent all sorts of military actions including reinforcements, mobilization, and deployment or seizing new sites.

2- Staring Saturday at 3.00 p.m., all roads and entry points lading to and from Taiz shall be opened including the Taiz- Sana’a highway passing through Al Hawban cross point, Taiz- Aden highway and the road linking Taiz with Hodeidah- Shara’ab-Al Dhabab and other sub-roads and entry points and that checkpoints controlled by the two Parties shall ensure smooth movement of people, vehicles, commodities, supplies, medicines and other civil life needs in anticipation to lift these checkpoints in the future.

The civil committee formed from the two Parties shall also follow up the opening of roads and other corridors while the two Parties shall keep in touch to facilitate any difficulties in relation to smooth movement of people and vehicles as agreed earlier by assigning two persons from each party to operate all the above-mentioned entry points.

3- Staring Saturday 3.00 p.m., Rajab 9, 1437 corresponding to April 16, 2016, all roads linking the districts of Taiz and within the districts shall be opened and to ensure smooth movement of people, vehicles, commodities, supplies, medicines and other civil life needs in anticipation to lift these checkpoints in the future.

4- In order to tackle any problem that would undermine validity of the ceasefire agreement, the bilateral military committee formed from the two parties shall convene regular meetings or keep in touch 24 hours through phone or social media after assigning two persons by each party for each front to tackle/prevent any action that might compromise the ceasefire agreement, including reinforcements, deployment or any of the actions mentioned in article (1) of the agreement signed in Dhahran Al Janoub City and as per the undersigned agreement.

5- In the event the committee assigned by the two parties at this of that front becomes unable to tackle the problems, the matter shall be quickly raised up to the Supreme Committee at the Governorate, which shall in turn take speedy action to resolve the problem so to ensure ceasefire to remain in effect.

6- The two parties shall commit not to arrest any person and shall seek to tackle the file of detainees and missing from the two sides as agreed.

This agreement is concluded on Rajab 9, 1437 corresponding to April 16, 2016.

First Party Abdulkareem Shaiban

Ali Mohammed Ahmed Al Ma’amari

Second Party

Mohammed Abdullah Nayef- Chairman of the Committee

Brigadier:

Zakaria Al Muta’a

PS: Main Roads (Sana’a – Taiz up to downtown Taiz and Hodeidah-Taiz road up to the city center shall be opened immediately on 16/04/2016 with the rest to follow suit gradually).