South Yemen
People's Republic of South Yemen (1967–1970) جمهورية اليمن الجنوبية الشعبية People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1970–1990) جمهورية اليمن الديمقراطية الشعبية | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1967–1990 | |||||||||||
Motto: وحدة ، حرية ، إشتراكية Ali Salim al-Beidh | |||||||||||
Qahtan al-Shaabi | |||||||||||
• 1986–1990 (last) | Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas | ||||||||||
Prime Minister | |||||||||||
• 1969 (first) | Faysal al-Shaabi | ||||||||||
• 1986–1990 (last) | Yasin Said Numan | ||||||||||
Legislature | Supreme People's Council | ||||||||||
Independence from the United Kingdom | |||||||||||
Historical era | Cold War | ||||||||||
• Independence declared | 30 November 1967 | ||||||||||
14 December 1967 | |||||||||||
• Constitution adopted | 31 October 1978 | ||||||||||
22 May 1990 | |||||||||||
Area | |||||||||||
• Total | 360,133 km2 (139,048 sq mi) | ||||||||||
Population | |||||||||||
• Estimate | 2,200,000[5] | ||||||||||
Currency | South Yemeni dinar (YDD) | ||||||||||
Driving side | right | ||||||||||
Calling code | 969 | ||||||||||
ISO 3166 code | YD | ||||||||||
Internet TLD | .yd | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Today part of | Yemen | ||||||||||
South Yemen,.
South Yemen's origins can be traced to 1874 with the creation of the British
The
History
British rule and decolonization
This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (March 2024) |
In 1838,
By 1965, most of the western protectorates had fallen to the National Liberation Front. As for Hadhramaut, it seemed calm until 1966 because the English presence there was less than its counterpart in the western protectorates.[16] Ali Salem al-Baidh and Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas joined the National Liberation Front in Hadhramaut and prevented the sultans of the Kathiri Sultanate and the Qu'aiti Sultanate from entering the country and allowed the Sultan of the Mahra Sultanate due to his old age.[17] The commander of the Hadhrami Bedouin Legion was killed by one of his men in the same year, and Ali Salem Al-Beidh and Muhammad Salem Akash played a major role in gathering supporters in favor of the National Liberation Front, taking advantage of the near absence of the English presence in al-Mahra.[18]
Qahtan Al-Shaabi was the only person the British knew because he was an agricultural engineer in his city of Lahij. When the British tried to negotiate with the National Liberation Front, Qahtan demanded immediate withdrawal and recognition of the legitimacy of his government, and that the British government provide aid double what it proposed to the union, and that all the islands associated with the Aden Protectorate be part of the new state. While the British demands were an orderly handover to the authorities, and that the new state not interfere in the affairs of any country in the Arabian Peninsula.[19] The British were surprised by the presence of people they thought were loyal to them alongside the popular Qahtan. The NLF was invited to the Geneva Talks to sign the independence agreement with the British. During its occupation of Aden, the British had signed several treaties of protection with the local sheikhdoms and emirates of the Federation of South Arabia; however, these parties were excluded from the talks, and thus the agreement stated [...the handover of the territory of South Arabia to the (Yemeni) NLF...]. Southern Yemen became independent as the People's Republic of South Yemen on 30 November 1967, and the National Liberation Front consolidated its control in the country. On 14 December 1967, the PDRY was admitted into the United Nations as a member state. the British announced that they would withdraw from 1968, which sparked the battles between the National Liberation Front and the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen to monopolize the right to self-determination after the British left.[20]
The National Liberation Front had the upper hand at the expense of the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen, whose members were divided between joining the National Front or leaving for North Yemen.[21] Abdullah Al-Asanj and Muhammad Basindwa left for North Yemen. The last British soldier left Aden on November 30, 1967, and the sheikhdoms of the Eastern Protectorate in Hadhramaut were annexed to the new country. The lands of South Yemen are rugged and barren, a fact that played a role in the social, cultural and economic development of the south, unlike the northern regions of Yemen. Their population in 1967 did not exceed two million people, while northern Yemen exceeded six million.[22] Most of the population of the south was concentrated in the western regions of Lahj and its environs, and these alone constituted more than 60% of the population, 10% were nomads. Qahtan al-Shaabi assumed the presidency of a state that had never existed before, with a collapsed economy.[23] Civilian workers and businessmen left, British support stopped, and the closure of the Suez Canal in 1967 reduced the number of ships crossing Aden by 75%.[24]
The National Liberation Front had approximately 4,000 members, a small number of university-educated leaders, and all of them, without exception, had no experience in government.[25] The front was divided into two right-wing and left-wing sections. The right-wingers and their popular leader, Qahtan, did not want to make major changes in the prevailing social and economic structure and took a conservative stance toward “liberating all Arab lands from colonialism, supporting the resistance of the Palestinian people, and supporting socialist regimes around the world to resist imperialism and colonial forces in the Third World.”[26] The leftist section of the Liberation Front was also promoting and opposed the establishment of popular forces and proposals to nationalize lands, and they were not preoccupied with the struggle of social classes. Qahtan wanted the continuation of existing institutions and their development.[27][28] The leftist section “wanted a social and economic transformation that would serve the broad segment of the working people instead of the wealthy minority,” as they put it.[29] on March 20 1968, Qahtan dismissed all leftist leaders from the government and party membership and was able to put down a rebellion led by leftist factions in the army in May of the same year.[30][31] On another level, in the months of July, August and December of 1968, the popular Qahtan faced new rebellions from leftist parties because all Arab countries welcomed the front. The National Liberation Front received a cold reception, as regimes like Egypt wanted to merge the National Front with the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen.[32] The leftist section was more numerous than the supporters of the popular Qahtan, and they wanted a regime that would lead the masses and face the great challenges facing the new state, the most important of which was the bankruptcy of the treasury.[32]
On December 11, 1967, the lands of “feudal symbols and British agents” were confiscated, and the state was divided into six governorates.[33] The aim of the move was to end tribal aspects in the state and ignore the tribal borders between the defunct sheikhdoms.[34] On June 16, 1969, Qahtan fired Interior Minister Muhammad Ali Haitham, but the latter withdrew his ties to With the tribes and the army, he was able to ally himself with Muhammad Saleh Al-Awlaki, and they reassembled the leftist forces that had been dispersed by President Qahtan Al-Shaabi.[35] They were able to arrest him and place him under house arrest.[36]
1969 establishment of a Marxist-Leninist state
On June 22 1969, a radical
The new government embarked on a programme of
The major
Disputes with North Yemen
Unlike the early decades of East Germany and West Germany, North Korea and South Korea, or North Vietnam and South Vietnam, or China and Taiwan, the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) and South Yemen (PDRY) remained relatively friendly, though relations were often strained.[vague] Fighting broke out in 1972, and the short-lived conflict was resolved with negotiations, where it was declared unification would eventually occur.[50][51]
However, these plans were put on hold in 1979, as the PDRY funded Red rebels in the YAR, and war was only prevented by an Arab League intervention. The goal of unity was reaffirmed by the northern and southern heads of state during a summit meeting in Kuwait in March 1979.
In 1980, PDRY president Abdul Fattah Ismail resigned and went into exile in Moscow, having lost the confidence of his sponsors in the USSR.[52] His successor, Ali Nasir Muhammad, took a less interventionist stance toward both North Yemen and neighbouring Oman.
1986 Civil War
On 13 January 1986, a violent struggle began in
Reforms and attempts for unification
Against the background of the
Demographics
South Yemen's ethnic groups were, as of 2000, ethnic Yemeni
Politics and social life
South Yemen developed as a Marxist–Leninist, mostly secular society ruled first by the National Liberation Front, which later morphed into the ruling Yemeni Socialist Party.[56]
Government
The legislative body, the Supreme People's Council, was elected by the people for a period of five years. The collective head of state, also known as the Presidium of the Supreme People's Council, was elected by the Supreme People's Council for a period of five years as well.[57]
The executive body was known as the Council of Ministers, and was formed by the Supreme People's Council. Local representative bodies were the people's councils, and their decisions were taken into account when the members of the Supreme People's Council were governing. Local executive bodies were the executive bureaus of the people's councils.[57]
The highest court was the Supreme Court of South Yemen, other courts in the country included courts of appeal and the provincial courts, and the courts of first instance were known as the district courts or magistrate courts.[57]
The only political party was the Yemen Socialist Party.[57]
Foreign relations
The only avowedly
Relations between South Yemen and several of nearby states were poor. Saudi Arabia only established diplomatic relations in 1976, initially hosting pro-British exiles and supporting armed clashes in the border regions of South Yemen. Relations with Oman declined through the 1970s as the South Yemen government supported the insurgent Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO). Relations with Ba'athist Iraq were also low, as South Yemen offered asylum to a number of Iraqi communists.[61]
Legislature and judiciary
The Supreme People's Council was appointed by the General Command of the National Liberation Front in 1971.
In Aden, there was a structured judicial system with a supreme court.
Living standards
Despite a poor economy, the government ensured a basic level of living standards for all citizens and established a welfare state.[61] Income equality improved, corruption was reduced, and health and educational services expanded.[41][62] Overall the population was assured of a basic but adequate living standard for all.[63]
Sports
In 1976, the South Yemen national football team participated in the AFC Asian Cup, where the team lost to Iraq 1–0 and to Iran 8–0. They entered their only World Cup qualification campaign in 1986 and were knocked out in the first round by Bahrain. On 2 September 1965, South Yemen played their first international match against the United Arab Republic, to whom they lost 14–0. On 5 November 1989, South Yemen played its last international match against Guinea, to whom they lost 1–0. The team stopped playing when the North and South united in 1990 to form the modern state of Yemen.
In 1988, the
Women's rights
Women's rights under the socialist government were considered the best in the region. Women became legally equal to men and were encouraged to work in public; polygamy, child marriage, and arranged marriage were all banned; and equal rights in divorce received legal sanction.[64][65][66][67][68]
Administrative divisions
Following independence, South Yemen was divided into six
Numeral | Name | Approximate Area (km.²) | Capital | |
---|---|---|---|---|
I | Aden | 6,980 | Aden | |
II | Lahij | 12,766 | Lahij | |
III | Abyan | 21,489 | Zinjibar | |
IV | Shabwah | 73,908 | Ataq | |
V | Hadhramawt | 155,376 | Mukalla | |
VI | Al Mahrah | 66,350 | Al Ghaydah |
Economy
During British rule, economic development in South Yemen was restricted to the city of
The main sources of income were agriculture, mostly fruit,
The national
Economic policy
Limited natural resources posed challenges to the economic development of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY). Despite this constraint, significant, albeit modest, oil reserves were discovered shortly after the country's unification in 1990. However, the YSP government did not benefit from oil exports to fund its development initiatives.[70]
Over time, economic policies in the PDRY underwent a transformation, shifting from an initial focus on developing the state sector to promoting cooperative and joint private-public enterprises. By the late 1980s, there was a notable presence of industries in Aden and around Al Mukalla in Hadramawt, producing a range of essential goods such as plastics, batteries, cigarettes, matches, tomato paste, dairy products, and fish canning.[71]
Within the industrial sector, the state implemented welfarist labor laws that were widely enforced. These laws included regulations aimed at safeguarding women in the workforce by prohibiting night shifts and hazardous occupations. Additionally, the legislation ensured that workers received salaries that enabled them to maintain reasonable living standards. Trade unions in the PDRY primarily functioned as state entities rather than as negotiating bodies, playing a significant role in upholding labor regulations and standards.[72]
Oil
A few months after
In 1980s, Technoexport contracted with the PDRY to search for oil in a 13,500-square-mile area in Shabwa, and, in 1984, launched a program of exploratory drilling. This Soviet effort yielded only traces of oil over the next two years, a sharp contrast to the discovery and rapid exploitation of oil in the same period by an American company, Hunt Oil, in- the YAR's Marib basin, an area just to the west of Shabwa. Then, in late 1986, the Soviets struck very high quality oil in western Shabwa, an occurrence confirmed by authorities in Aden in early 1987.
By late March, Initial estimates placed the oil reserves at around 1 billion barrels,[74][76] sparking plans for pipeline construction and full-scale production of the oil fields. events moved swiftly, and industry sources reported in mid-1987 that the three fields - lyad East, lyad West, and Amal already had a productive capacity of 10,000 barrels per day (bpd), that between 5,000-10,000 bpd were being trucked to the Aden refinery, and that there were plans to increase the number of trucks on the oil run to bring deliveries up to 25,000 bpd, considerably more than the PDRY's total domestic need at the time.[74] The discovery was viewed as a potential pathway to reduce dependence on external sources of income and improve the lives of South Yemen's roughly 2.4 million citizens. However, the joy of discovery was accompanied by a multitude of challenges.[74]
Western Shabwa was not the only exploration area, and the Soviet Union was not the only explorer in the second half of the 1980s.[74] Replying to a claim that the PDRY had put all of its eggs in one basket, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Minerals Salih Abu-Bakr ibn Husaynun noted in late 1987 that eight Western and Arab companies were engaged in exploration efforts in several areas in the PDRY.[74] This count seems about right. Although Italy's Agip stopped work in late 1985, Brazil's Braspetrol, France's Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Elf) and Compagnie Franqaise des Petroles (Total), Kuwait's Independent Petroleum Group, and Canadian Occidental were among the firms actively searching for oil in the years that followed.[74]
The Soviet involvement in the discovery, estimated to have cost over half a billion dollars and add to South Yemen's already staggering debt, raised concerns about potential political and economic influence in the region.[74] Additionally, the oil find added a layer of complexity to the already intricate relationship between South and North Yemen, both of which desired unification and saw the resource, estimated to hold the potential for substantial economic benefits, as a potential driver of economic prosperity.[77]
Furthermore, South Yemen grappled with internal political struggles and social unrest at the time of the discovery. The violent leadership struggle within the ruling communist party, culminating in the January 1986 "blood bath" in Aden, further destabilized the nation. This volatile political landscape cast a shadow over the potential benefits of the newfound oil wealth and raised questions about how the resources would be managed and distributed fairly within the nation.[78]
Airlines
The following airlines had operated from the PDRY:[79]
- Aden Airways[80] (1949–1967). Ceased operations on 30 June 1967 at the time of British withdrawal from the Federation and the Protectorate of South Arabia.
- Alyemda – Democratic Yemen Airlines (1961–1996). Joined Yemenia, the airline of the former YAR
- The Brothers Airline Service Corporation was formed by Sayid Zein A. Baharoon who used the “Brothers” nomenclature in his merchant enterprises. Known as BASCO, this fledgling airline lasted only a short time.[81]
Movements to revive South Yemen
After three years from the
Since 2007, some Southerners have been actively protesting for independence, in a movement known as 'Al Hirak' or the
In late January 2018, separatists loyal to the
See also
- List of leaders of South Yemen
- History of Yemen
- Democratic Republic of Yemen
- South Yemen Movement
- South Yemen insurgency
- Dhofar Rebellion
- STC
- Yemen
Notes
References
- ^ https://www.worldstatesmen.org/YemenPDR1978.pdf
- JSTOR 4283364.
- ^ "Yemen: The Tribal Islamists | Wilson Center".
- ^ Clark, Victoria. Yemen: Dancing on the Heads of Snakes, Yale University Press: 2010, page 112–130.
- PMID 12178022.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia and the civil war within Yemen's civil war". Brookings.
- ^ a b "Yemen". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 22 Sep. 2013
- ^ "Yemen". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 22 Sep. 2013
- ^ a b "Yemen". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 22 Sep. 2013
- ^ Stephen W. Day,Regionalism and Rebellion in Yemen: A Troubled National Union p.39
- ^ "Yemen". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 22 Sep. 2013
- ^ "Yemen". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 22 Sep. 2013
- ^ Stephen W. Day,Regionalism and Rebellion in Yemen: A Troubled National Union p.39
- ^ Andrew Mumford The Counter-Insurgency Myth: The British Experience of Irregular Warfare p.87
- ^ Andrew Mumford The Counter-Insurgency Myth: The British Experience of Irregular Warfare p.88
- ^ Noel Brehony Yemen Divided: The Story of a Failed State in South Arabia p.28
- ^ Noel Brehony Yemen Divided: The Story of a Failed State in South Arabia p.28
- ^ Noel Brehony Yemen Divided: The Story of a Failed State in South Arabia p.29
- ^ Fred Halliday Revolution and Foreign Policy: The Case of South Yemen, 1967-1987 p.21
- ^ Noel Brehony Yemen Divided: The Story of a Failed State in South Arabia p.29
- ^ Al-Hawadess, 1977 Events, Issues 20-33 p.187
- ^ Gabriel Jonsson Towards Korean Reconciliation: Socio-cultural Exchanges and Cooperation p.34
- ^ Tareq Y. Ismael, Jacqueline S. Ismael Politics and Government in the Middle East and North Africa p.438 University Press of Florida, 1991 ISBN 0-8130-1043-8
- ^ Noel Brehony Yemen Divided: The Story of a Failed State in South Arabia p.31
- ^ Ruud van Dijk Encyclopedia of the Cold War
- ^ Fred Haliday Revolution and Foreign Policy: The Case of South Yemen, 1967-1987 p.23
- ^ Fred Haliday Revolution and Foreign Policy: The Case of South Yemen, 1967-1987 p.24
- ^ Encyclopedia of the Cold Waredited by Ruud van Dijk, William Glenn Gray, Svetlana Savranskaya, Jeremi Suri, Qiang Zhai
- ^ Noel Brehony Yemen Divided: The Story of a Failed State in South Arabia p.32
- ^ Nadav Safran Saudi Arabia: The Ceaseless Quest for Security p.128
- ^ Fred Haliday Revolution and Foreign Policy: The Case of South Yemen, 1967-1987 p.24
- ^ a b Noel Brehony Yemen Divided: The Story of a Failed State in South Arabia p.32-33
- ^ Noel Brehony Yemen Divided: The Story of a Failed State in South Arabia p.34
- ^ Noel Brehony Yemen Divided: The Story of a Failed State in South Arabia p.34
- ^ Fred Haliday Revolution and Foreign Policy: The Case of South Yemen, 1967-1987 p.25
- ^ Fred Haliday Revolution and Foreign Policy: The Case of South Yemen, 1967-1987 p.25
- ^ Fred Haliday Revolution and Foreign Policy: The Case of South Yemen, 1967-1987 p.25
- ^ "Yearbook of the United Nations 1970". United Nations Office of Public Information. 31 December 1970. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ David Walker, Daniel Gray The A to Z of Marxism p. 329
- ISBN 978-3-8376-3225-5. Archivedfrom the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ ISBN 9780804799027.
- ^ Pernille Arenfeldt, Nawar Al-Hassan Golley, Mapping Arab Women's Movements: A Century of Transformations
- JSTOR 1394747.
- ^ Miers, S. (2003). Slavery in the Twentieth Century: The Evolution of a Global Problem. Storbritannien: AltaMira Press. p. 352
- ^ a b "32. South Yemen (1967-1990)". uca.edu. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-8476-9907-0.
- ^ "Jimmy Carter and the Second Yemenite War: A Smaller Shock of 1979? | Wilson Center". www.wilsoncenter.org. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ Mirovalev, Mansur. "Russia language". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ "North and South Yemen: In Search of Unity", CIA Study on Yemeni Unification, Central Intelligence Agency, 19 January 1990, archived from the original on 5 March 2016, retrieved 14 September 2017 – via Scribd
- ISBN 9780231070447.
- ^ Halliday, Fred (2002). Revolution and Foreign Policy: The Case of South Yemen, 1967–1987. Cambridge University Press. p. 35.
- ^ Katz, Mark (Fall 1986). "Civil Conflict in South Yemen" (PDF). Middle East Review. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2011.
- OCLC 64592193.
- ^ "Middle East :: Yemen — The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ Laessing, Ulf (22 January 2010). "Women of southern Yemen port remember better times". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- ^ PMID 12178022.
- ^ Gart, Murray (9 January 1989). "South Yemen New Thinking in a Marxist Land". Time. Archived from the original on 25 August 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ Müller, Miriam Manuela. A Spectre Is Haunting Arabia: How the Germans Brought Their Communism to Yemen. Transcript, 2015.In-text Citation
- ^ Stokes, Lee. "East German Security Quit South Yemen". United Press Agency, 11 May 1990.In-text Citation
- ^ S2CID 159661566.
- ^ Lackner, Helen (8 April 2022). "Yemen's Socialist Experiment Was a Political Landmark for the Arab World". Jacobin. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- S2CID 159661566.
- ISBN 9780804799027. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- )
- ^ "Women's rights in Yemen". Offiziere.ch. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ "How Yemen's Dream of Unity Turned Sour". jacobinmag.com. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-931477-96-6.
- ^ https://jacobin.com/2022/08/socialism-arab-world-peoples-democratic-republic-of-yemen-history
- ^ https://jacobin.com/2022/08/socialism-arab-world-peoples-democratic-republic-of-yemen-history
- ^ https://jacobin.com/2022/08/socialism-arab-world-peoples-democratic-republic-of-yemen-history
- JSTOR 40199914.
- ^ JSTOR 4327962.
- ^ Center, Sana'a (24 August 2023). "Recovering Lost Ground in Shabwa's Oil Sector". Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ISSN 1060-4367.
- JSTOR 4327962.
- JSTOR 4327962.
- ^ "Airlines – South Yemen". The World's Airlines. David Lyall. Archived from the original on 27 June 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
- ^ "History". Aden Airways. Peter Pickering. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
- ^ "BASCO (Brothers Air Service) history from Rest of World, South Yemen".
- ^ "Separatist clashes flare in south Yemen". BBC News. 30 January 2018. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ "Yémen: les séparatistes sudistes, à la recherche de l'indépendance perdue". Le Point. 28 January 2018. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook.
External links
- South Yemen Anthem (1969–1979), National anthem of Yemen (second and last anthem of South Yemen)
- Constitution of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (as amended 31 October 1978)