Background:

In the midst of political instability and uncertainty in Yemen in 1999, a wave of kidnappings of foreigners by various Islamist groups occurred across the country, including the Dutch Koolstra family. Cornelis Hulsman met with the Minister of Information, member of the General People’s Congress (GPC), ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Aqwā, to discuss the situation in Yemen. The exact date of this recording is not known but it took place after the release of the Koolstra family in the second half of January 1999. 

For more information on foreign kidnappings in Yemen, please refer to the succeeding tape Minister of Information ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Aqwā on kidnappings of foreigners in Yemen II:

http://www.arabwestreport.info/en/minister-information-%CA%BFabd-al-ra%E...

and

• Dr. Truus Wierdsma on the kidnapping of the Koolstra family in Yemen

http://www.arabwestreport.info/en/dr-truus-wierdsma-kidnapping-koolstra-...

• First telephone call of the Koolstra family after their release:

http://www.arabwestreport.info/en/first-telephone-call-koolstra-family-a...

• Hans Koolstra after his release in Yemen:

http://www.arabwestreport.info/en/hans-koolstra-after-his-release-yemen

• Dutch Radio program Tijdsein: Interviews Hans Koolstra after his release in Yemen:

http://www.arabwestreport.info/en/dutch-radio-program-tijdsein-interview...

Side A:

Al-Aqwā attributed the prevalence of the kidnappings to multiple factors, the most significant of which include: the eruption of war in 1994 which gave way for violence and corroded social bonds and societal norms; the deterioration of living conditions which created further unrest and instability; and the failure of the state to perform its most basic security functions such as maintaining the rule of law, and bringing criminals to justice. Furthermore, another significant factor was the state’s concealment of vital information and the issuance of contradictory reports which led to further weakening of the state’s credibility – eventually leading to negative repercussions both politically and economically.

Regarding the role of tribes in the political life of Yemen, al-Aqwā explained that he considers them to be the main contenders in Yemen’s political arena. Furthermore, when asked about the reason behind the kidnapping of foreigners and not locals he explained that contrary to what might be believed, kidnappings of Yemeni locals are also very common. The main difference, he maintains, is that only kidnappings of foreigners are publicized because kidnappers believe that the government will care about their lives and respond to their demands. Yemeni locals, by contrast, are perceived to be of no value to the government, al-Aqwā says.

Al-Aqwā goes on to criticize the government which he describes as a “minority” government that came to power by force and not through democratic means. He contends that if Yemen were a true democratic nation, that the government would have been forced to resign by the people. He sheds light on the problem of possession, distribution and trading of weapons which had become extremely common in Yemen. He stipulated that the reason behind this problem was the policy of the government which preferred to maintain the status quo, and tried to stop the dispersal of modern values into Yemeni society.

Finally, he discusses the manifestations of the shortcomings on the government; which translated into: prevalence of diseases, widening of the gap between the rich and the poor (with the disappearance of the middle class), and increased rates of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment.

Side B:

In the second part of the interview, al-Aqwā stressed upon the importance of participation of the socialist party in Yemen, among others, in the political process even if elections were rarely fair and free. He confirmed that opposition parties had a program for participating in the then-upcoming election. The socialist party, he explained, was unified in the north and south; offering a wide variety of political directions within the party including: rightist, leftist, democratic and even Marxist tendencies.

He explained that while the Iṣlāḥ Party was affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood; they were not publicly proclaimed to be against Christianity. He explained that the kidnappings were carried out by smaller, more radical, groups such as the Salafis and Jihadists who were publicly proclaimed to be against foreigners and openly incited youth against foreigners and Christians. When asked about how he thought the socialist party would perform if free and fair elections were carried out, al-Aqwā expected it to rally 25-30 percent of the vote; with more support in the southern areas of Yemen that enjoy higher degrees of education and civilization.

Regarding Yemeni perceptions of Egyptians, al-Aqwā stipulated that the majority share feelings of gratitude and respect towards Egyptians; acknowledging that Egypt tried to help Yemen break out of underdevelopment and helped defend Ṣanaʿa during the revolution [following the death of Imam Aḥmad bin Yaḥyā in 1962 fights broke out between royalists and republicans. The republicans obtained the overhand with Egypt’s support]. He highlighted Egypt’s deep cultural impact on Yemen in terms of education, theatre, cinema and so forth. Yemenis share a historic sympathy towards Jamāl ʿAbd al-Nāṣir whom they regarded as a hero who wanted to liberate all Arabs.

Finally, in a comment on the then-new Law against terrorism, al-Aqwā criticized it as it was prepared with haste and was issued by means of a presidential decree; not through parliament. Furthermore, the law entailed a huge degree of exaggeration, and was not applicable. Al-Aqwā believed in the necessity of a more balanced law that would have guaranteed reaching the truth; one that would have led to the punishment of those at fault without infringing on citizens’ rights.