اقرأ المحتوى باللغة العربية
Amman, Jordan – A Yemeni Tribal Conference was held in Amman on December 5-6, 2021, organized and facilitated by the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies and CMI — Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, with support from the European Union.
The forum explored the current and future role of Yemeni tribes in peacemaking, de-escalation, and a nationwide ceasefire in Yemen. It discussed the formation of communication committees between local and international actors to support the peace process led by the United Nations.
More than 40 tribal leaders, along with UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg, Chargé d’Affairs of the European Union Mission to Yemen Marion Lalisse, French ambassador to Yemen Jean-Marie Safa, and other diplomats, participated in the conference.
In his opening remarks, UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said that six years of the Yemeni crisis have passed without achieving serious talks between Yemeni parties, which prompts the need to launch serious dialogues at the local and national levels, including with tribal leaders. He expressed hope that Yemeni tribes would contribute to finding a solution to the Yemeni crisis and supporting the peace process.
By the end of the gathering, a statement was issued by the Yemeni Tribal Conference during which the Yemeni tribal leaders called on parties to the conflict for a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire, and to open all roads and humanitarian corridors in accordance with regulations that guarantee the flow of goods, facilitate the movement of Yemenis, and protect their lives.
Commenting on the conference, Executive Director for the Sana’a Center, Maged Al-Madhaji, said that Yemen’s tribes form a crucial societal component that can contribute to exploring options to end the war as part of a settlement that involves different political and societal groups and stakeholders.
The Amman conference was the third organized by the Sana’a Center and CMI; the previous two gatherings, held in Istanbul and Toledo, focused on integrating and enhancing the role of Yemeni tribes in local mediations, particularly related to the exchange of prisoners.