al-Qa'alah and al-Aghbarah Reconciliation Agreement

• Country/entity

  Yemen
  
• Region

  Middle East and North Africa
  
• Agreement name

  al-Qa'alah and al-Aghbarah Reconciliation Agreement
• Date

  4 Aug 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

  two tribes of al-Qa’alah and al-Aghbarah
  [9 signatories]
• Third parties

  good endeavour blessed by Al-Sayyid Ahmed Bihay al-Din Salih al-Sarwari
• Description

  A truce lasting three years between the al-Qa’alah and al-Aghbarah. Sit downs between elders are continuing to resolve remaining disputes within this time frame. Agreement translation is missing details due to illegible handwriting.

• Agreement document

  YE_140802_Al-Qa'alah and Al-Aghbarah Reconciliation Agreement_EN.pdf | Download PDF
• Agreement document (original language)

  YE_140802_Al-Qa'alah and Al-Aghbarah Reconciliation Agreement_AR.pdf | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

• Process type

  Formal structured process
  
• Rationale

  There appears to be a form of dedicated supporting body comprised of prominent social figures from the area, elders and politicians as described in the text. There is clear formally established process present, with the elder representatives of the two tribes leading talks and ensuring agreement - this is a typical local practice where signing parties themselves lead and shape agreements, based on a tradition of self governance and mutual understandings of confidence building measures. This agreement also reflects a locally accepted signing practice in the sense that it is part of a long term agreement set out between the two tribes, and in this sense is part of an ongoing process which may involve later revisions or other truces/agreements. This agreement is to last three years.
• Is there a documented link to a national peace process?

  T
• Link to national process: articulated rationale

  It cannot be assumed that the supporting efforts of the politicians described in the text can necessarily be viewed as a national support structure or input. The wider peace process is not specifically mentioned in the text. There is also no further research which indicates a clear structural link to the national peace process.
• Name of Locale

  Sabiha (al-Subaiha/Shuaibi), area within the governorate of Lahij
• Nature Of Locale

  Region
• GPS Lat/Long (DD)

  13.057711, 44.882743
• Participant type

  Local armed group
  
• Mediator, facilitator or similar

  Mediator or similar referred to
  Mediator (references)

  Al-Sayyid Ahmed Bihay al-Din Salih al-Sarwari (Sorouri) is described in the document text and the source attached to it as leading the agreement talks and continuing to endeavor to ensure peace between the two tribes. His name is listed in the agreement text in the context of blessing the agreement. It seems implicit by the source that his endeavors go beyond this and involve longer term conciliatory efforts. The fact he blessed this agreement likely implies he is the Sayyid (an Arabic title of honour/respect given to people who are culturally accepted as descendants of the prophet Muhammad) who is more implicitly referenced as a mediator in the document text for the other agreement in this process.
  Type of mediator/facilitator/similar

Local issues

In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate

al-Qa’alah and al-Aghbarah Reconciliation Agreement

Praise be to God, and May His Peace and Blessings be upon the Messenger Mohammed bin Abdullah and upon his family and companions.

Allah says:

“And say, ‘Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and [so, will] His Messenger and the believers.

And you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do’” [9:105].

Following the good endeavour blessed by Al-Sayyid Ahmed Bihay al-Din Salih al-Sarwari between two tribes of al-Qa’alah and al-Aghbarah led to reparation, a cease fire and security.

Sit down with wise men and elders of the al-Qa’alah tribe continuing.

The truce between the two tribes is established for three years.

During these three years, the efforts of active politicians to resolve the disputes between two tribes continues. […]

1 the truce from 7/9/2014.

In this period […]2 the truce.

This is agreed and signed by the elders of the Al-Qa’alah and al-Aghbarah tribes.

The elders should meet […]3 for this truce at the right time.

[9 signatories]