Towards Yemeni union

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33061, 31 October 1972, Page 16

Towards Yemeni union

The Governments of the two Yemens are to attempt the task of unification, or tribal integration, which the British, during their long occupancy of Aden, found not worth the diplomatic and military effort that would have been involved. Britain’s chief interest, during 129 years occupancy of Aden, was the protection of a strategically important base; the hinterland was of little concern to Britain, the naval Power. The tribesmen of the border areas between North and South live in a primitive form of society which has changed little over the centuries. It is difficult to imagine how these people could be integrated into any modem form of government. Yet that is only one aspect of the task that the proposed experiment in unification will involve. The question confronting the two Governments is one that was asked not long ago by the Northern Prime Minister, Mr Mohsen al-Aini: “ Can we transform our “ situation of tribes, factions, groups, and ancestors “ into a new people, joining in with the cavalcade of “ civilisation and getting rid of the remnants of the “ past? ” It is gratifying that an attempt to answer it is to be made through peaceful debate, and not through military action by one side or the other. A new State would need to be a political entity embracing all factions. In theory, none is to be omitted, neither the Marxists of the South nor the In-between tribal organisations; and none is to dominate. Realisation of a plan so complex will require a testing exercise in tolerance and adaptation. Special mixed committees, working under the supervision of the Arab League conciliation commission, will presumably attempt to draft the framework of a constitution which, among other things, would provide for the formation of a supreme council to administer both internal and foreign policy. One interesting proposal is that the council should meet in Sana, the Northern capital, and Aden by rotation, its chairmanship alternating between the merged member States. Such an approach would seem to be the only practicable means of realising union at all.

pie Russians have substantial military missions in both Yemens. In the North they have military and technical personnel, and they built an air base near Sana. In the South they have about 300 “ advisers ”, and have been training Adenis to service Soviet-supplied aircraft. There are few, if any, Adeni pilots, so it seems fairly clear that if the South raided by air across the border, the aircraft were flown by Russian pilots. The position, for Moscow, is further complicated by the presence in Aden of a Chinese mission of comparable size, comprising engineers and agricultural experts, and reflecting the Marxist link between Aden and Peking. This is one problem of foreign policy with which a government of union would have to deal at an early stage.