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Agreement between Yafa’ai tribe security belt members and Lahj governorate officials to protect the roads

  • Country/entity

    Yemen
  • Region

    Middle East and North Africa
  • Agreement name

    Agreement between Yafa’ai tribe security belt members and Lahj governorate officials to protect the roads
  • Date

    22 Mar 2018
  • Agreement status

    Multiparty signed/agreed
  • Interim arrangement

    Yes
  • Agreement/conflict level

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

    Framework/substantive - partial
  • Conflict nature

    Inter-group
  • Peace process

    Yemen Inter-group Agreements
  • Parties

    Local Yafa'ai tribe as part of Security belt forces and Governorate officials in Lahj governorate.

    Governor of the province [signature]

    Director of Security for Lahij Governorate [signature]

    Commander of the Security Belt, Lahij Governorate and Yafa’ sector [signature]

    Director General of Laabos Directorate [signature]

    Director General of al- Hadd Directorate [signature]

    Director General of Yahr Directorate [signature]

    General Director of al-Maflahi Directorate [signature]

    Commander of Laabos security [signature]

    Commander of al-Hadd security [signature]

    Commander of Yahr security [signature]

    Commander of al-Maflahi Security [signature]

    Director of Public Works and Roads Department, Laabos Directorate [signature]

    Director of Public Works and Roads Department, al- Hadd Directorate [signature]

    Director of Public Works and Roads Department, al-Maflahi Directorate [signature]

    Director of Public Works and Roads Department, Yahr Directorate [signature]
  • Third parties

    -
  • Description

    Short agreement which provides for the protection of key roads in Lahj governorate, including acts of banditry and destruction of roads. The agreement provides for a range of detailed measures in the interest of preserving roads for public interests, setting out a system of public reporting and commensurate fines.


Local agreement properties

  • Process type

    Isolated example
  • Rationale

    Further sources suggest this is an unusual agreement although it seems formalised to an extent and detailed in its provisions. While the agreement is well supported by a range of officials, local security leaders and other societal notables, agreements which deal with roads in such detail may be unusual in these areas. Insufficient level of further sources make this isolated, where it is not clear that such agreement practices are either persistent or formalised.
  • Is there a documented link to a national peace process?

    No
  • Link to national process: articulated rationale

    No clear link in the agreement text or from further sources.
  • Name of Locale

    Yafa'a
  • Nature Of Locale

    Smaller
  • GPS Lat/Long (DD)

    13.653613, 45.212016
  • Participant type

    Local state actor
    Local armed group
    Regional state actor
  • Mediator, facilitator or similar

    No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

  • Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture)
    Page 1, Preamble

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

    Page 1, Preamble

    Praise to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may blessings and peace be upon his truthful and faithful Messenger Muhammad, may God bless him, and upon his good and pure family and companions .... and after: -

    Page 3, The Subject: Protection of public roads and the secondary roads of Yafa’

    ... This and Allah is the arbiter of success
  • Grievance List
    Page 1, The Subject: Protection of public roads and the secondary roads of Yafa’

    1 - All acknowledges banning and outlawing all kind of attacks on the main and secondary roads, and no group or individual has the right to attack or disrupt them, for whatever the reason, because they are public routes that serve everyone and are a red line and it is forbidden to narrow or attack them from any party, group, or people.
  • Cattle rustling/banditry
    Page 1, The Subject: Protection of public roads and the secondary roads of Yafa’

    1 - All acknowledges banning and outlawing all kind of attacks on the main and secondary roads, and no group or individual has the right to attack or disrupt them, for whatever the reason, because they are public routes that serve everyone and are a red line and it is forbidden to narrow or attack them from any party, group, or people.

    Page 2, The Subject: Protection of public roads and the secondary roads of Yafa’

    7 - It is firmly prohibited to assault roads and sub-gravel roads, or damage approved plans (the current existing roads), or prevent repairing, maintaining, paving, and asphalting, and every directorate, region and village concerned, has to report damage or assaults [carried out] by any party or persons. The concerned authorities shall respond to any report quickly.

    Page 3, The Subject: Protection of public roads and the secondary roads of Yafa'

    11- This letter and what has been agreed upon will be copied for the relevant authorities in the four directorates, local councils, notables, leaders of the movement, social figures, all concerned people, and citizens in general, and everyone is concerned to preserve the main and secondary road lines, and stop assaulting or damaging them, and to immediately report any attack to the concerned authorities to stop and hold any violator accountable, and applying fines and the appropriate penalty for each violation, removing any innovations or obstacles.
  • Social cover
    Page 2, The Subject: Protection of public roads and the secondary roads of Yafa’

    7 - It is firmly prohibited to assault roads and sub-gravel roads, or damage approved plans (the current existing roads), or prevent repairing, maintaining, paving, and asphalting, and every directorate, region and village concerned, has to report damage or assaults [carried out] by any party or persons. The concerned authorities shall respond to any report quickly.

    Page 2, The Subject: Protection of public roads and the secondary roads of Yafa’

    10 - The Works and Roads Department in the directorates, along with the security apparatus and the security belt, and in coordination with the directors of the general directorates, shall supervise and monitor all of the above, to control [future] violations, limit previous violations, and deal with them decisively and responsibly in a way that [help] achieve the safety of the general and secondary roads and [بالمخالفات التماثل وعدم] and all citizens have to report any new violation.

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

The Yemeni Republic Date / / 2018

Ministry of Local Administration Attached ….

[Official logo of the Republic of Yemen]

Lahij Governorate Reference ...

Praise to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may blessings and peace be upon His truthful and faithful Messenger Muhammad, may God bless him, and upon his good and pure family and companions .... and after:

- The Subject:

Protection of public roads and the secondary roads of Yafa’ Based on what was agreed upon in a previous meeting of general directors, security directors, public officials of Works Department, roads, social figures, notables, leaders of the movement, and those involved in all four Yafa' districts that are administratively affiliated to Lahij governorate in the house of Sheikh alNaqib.

To protect and provide safety of the public roads, it was agreed on the following:

- 1 - All acknowledges banning and outlawing all kind of attacks on the main and secondary roads, and no group or individual has the right to attack or disrupt them, for whatever the reason, because they are public routes that serve everyone and are a red line and it is forbidden to narrow or attack them from any party, group, or people.

2 - All endorse the protection of the main four pass roads from each side based on previous decisions made by the local councils during construction (taking into account the geographical nature of the district of Yahr in the de facto places outside the asphalt line, according to the view of officials there, for the public interest.

3 - It is firmly prohibited to narrow public roads or block them on the sides with any barriers, even temporary, be construction materials, equipment, or any other materials.

4 - In the narrow spaces where there is no adequate protection, as a de facto situation, paragraph (2) of leaving four meters in cases of construction, and paragraph (3) not to install fixed or temporary barriers.

5- It is firmly prohibited to damage the asphalt line with random excavations to pass water, electricity, or other items.

Also, it is prohibited to work or construct any hump or waterline except with an official license from the public works department and following the guidance of the director general of the directorate, and in an engineering and civilized manner, and ensuring the removal of random humps.

6- It is firmly prohibited to issue building permissions near public roads, be residential or commercial, except after [obtaining] the guarantee and the commitment of the beneficiary not to overtake and disturb public streets and to protect them with barriers [during construction times].

7 - It is firmly prohibited to assault roads and sub-gravel roads, or damage approved plans (the current existing roads), or prevent repairing, maintaining, paving, and asphalting, and every directorate, region and village concerned, has to report damage or assaults [carried out] by any party or persons.

The concerned authorities shall respond to any report quickly.

8- It is firmly prohibited to throw garbage and dead animals on the main and secondary roads or on the sides [of the streets] or nearby places.

All must preserve the public decency, appearance, and positive image, and the environment to reflect a positive image of the area and its people.

9- As for public markets, it is necessary to regulate and keep them clean, and organize parking procedures, and not allowing trucks to unload cargo before two o'clock in the afternoon to facilitate car traffics in the markets, and traffic and security officers must organize this.

10 - The Works and Roads Department in the directorates, along with the security apparatus and the security belt, and in coordination with the directors of the general directorates, shall supervise and monitor all of the above, to control [future] violations, limit previous violations, and deal with them decisively and responsibly in a way that [help] achieve the safety of the general and secondary roads and [بالمخالفات التماثل وعدم [and all citizens have to report any new violation.

11- This letter and what has been agreed upon will be copied for the relevant authorities in the four directorates, local councils, notables, leaders of the movement, social figures, all concerned people, and citizens in general, and everyone is concerned to preserve the main and secondary road lines, and stop assaulting or damaging them, and to immediately report any attack to the concerned authorities to stop and hold any violator accountable, and applying fines and the appropriate penalty for each violation, removing any innovations or obstacles.

This and Allah is the arbiter of success Governor of the province

[signature] [stamp] Director of Security for Lahij Governorate

[signature] [stamp] Commander of the Security Belt,

Lahij Governorate and Yafa’ sector [signature] [stamp]

Director General of Laabos Directorate [signature] [stamp]

Director General of al- Hadd Directorate [signature] [stamp]

Director General of Yahr Directorate [signature] [stamp]

General Director of al-Maflahi Directorate [signature] [stamp]

Commander of Laabos security [signature] [stamp]

Commander of al-Hadd security [signature] [stamp]

Commander of Yahr security [signature] [stamp]

Commander of al-Maflahi Security [signature] [stamp]

Director of Public Works and Roads Department, Laabos Directorate [signature] [stamp]

Director of Public Works and Roads Department, al- Hadd Directorate [signature] [stamp]

Director of Public Works and Roads Department, al-Maflahi Directorate [signature] [stamp]

Director of Public Works and Roads Department, Yahr Directorate [signature] [stamp]