AMBASSADOR REKINDLES CONNECTIONS IN THE "FORGOTTEN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 001552 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARP AMACDONALD E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2019 TAGS: PGOV SCUL ECON YM SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR REKINDLES CONNECTIONS IN THE "FORGOTTEN GOVERNORATE" OF HUDAYDAH Classified By: Ambassador Stephen Seche for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. The political opposition and civil society expressed frustration with the ROYG's intransigence and inattention to Hudaydah during the Ambassador's inaugural August 12 visit. Business and local government leaders described the need for investment in the infrastructure and human capital of the governorate. Although politically and economically frustrated, the citizens of Hudaydah have not given up hope. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) In his first official visit to Hudaydah on August 12, the Ambassador visited government officials, members of the business community, NGOs, and opposition party leaders. Shunted aside from the mainstream of national life, Hudaydah is often overlooked by the central government despite its large population, seaside location, and dire need for services. Civil society has had to fill the void left by government neglect in the fields of education, human rights, women's rights, and private investment. Opposition leaders articulated their hesitancy to reopen dialogue with the ruling party until they are assured of its sincerity, which they believe can only be demonstrated by the release of all protesters currently detained in the south. A PRINCIPLED SILENCE -------------- ¶3. (C) In the wake of recently severed relations between the opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) and the ruling General People's Congress (GPC),local JMP leaders met with the Ambassador in Hudaydah on August 12 to voice their concerns over the escalation in politically-motivated hostilities. (NOTE. Recent demonstrations in the south have resulted in a series of arrests of unarmed civilian protesters, who have been detained without formal charges. Furthermore, conflicting reports from state and independent press have mentioned clashes between ROYG security forces and the demonstrators, which have resulted in a number of civilian deaths. END NOTE.) The JMP representatives insisted on the release of protesters as a first step in reopening talks with the GPC. Describing the ongoing hostilities towards the opposition in the south as a "burial of democracy and a retreat of unity principles," Abdul Rahman al-Sharie of the Baath Party articulated the need for a principled suspension of dialogue with a ruling party "that does not honestly seek solutions." Dr. Tiba Barakat of the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) argued that the JMP's reasonable demand for a release of all detainees is, in fact, a small condition for resuming the dialogue. Barakat added that the deterioration of rights and economic, educational, and health services alone would warrant protest. Hade Hayj of the Islah Party asserted that unless ROYG policies change, "Hudaydah will be like the south, like Marib and al-Jawf" with Barakat warning, "if the government does not release the southern prisoners, it will lose the southern governorates." Dr. Hassan al-Hared of the Nasserite Party added that the demands which the ROYG levies on the opposition reveal its insincerity, explaining that President Saleh creates the crisis "by putting mines in front of the dialogue because he knows the opposition cannot go into dialogue with the protesters in prison." THIRST FOR AMERICAN INVESTMENT -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Encouraging American investment, particularly in the oil and gas sector, was a top priority for Hudyadah Governor Ahmed Salem al-Jabali during his meeting with the Ambassador. Jabali pledged open cooperation with any American firms that would like to revisit the oil exploration issue. Both the governor and a group of prominent Hudaydah businessmen agreed that the private sector should drive economic growth and hoped for ) but could not assure - limited government interference in developing the shipping, fishing, and oil sectors. Unfortunately, piracy concerns in the Red Sea and an insufficient electric grid handicap economic development, limiting industry to simple assembly-line operations. Ahmed Gazem Saeed, the Regional Manager of HSA group and the Vice President of the Hudaydah Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the need to focus education on skills-training for professions that the private sector actually demands. Governor Jabali argued that the combination of unemployment and poverty is the "greatest incentive for political extremism and terrorism," warning that this "disease will spread like a cancer" to neighboring countries if left unchecked. Commenting on technology, Jabali also intimated that the capability to transfer information rapidly "could be very terrorizing for me and you," especially considering the political and religious context. UNDER-RESOURCED BUT OVER-ACHIEVING -------------- ¶5. (C) Staffed with engaging and ambitious young leaders, the NGO community in Hudaydah strives to improve its governorate with little more than grit and determination. Low on resources and often facing resistance due to the sensitive nature of their work, NGO leaders have had to be resourceful in implementing projects. While the people have generally been receptive to their work, the government has imposed obstacles. A creative approach has allowed the local chapter of IMPACT, an institute for women's development, to broach the sensitive subject of women's rights by first assisting families in meeting their basic needs and building trust in the community. Khaled Ayesh of the National Human Rights Forum (NHRF) described how his organization blunts government interference in his research on controversial subjects by involving community leaders, local imams, and political parties in their training sessions. Hard data on human rights abuses and educational indicators is non-existent, a problem both the NHRF and local education officials are trying to address. GIRLS: LEFT JUST OUTSIDE THE SCHOOLYARD -------------- ¶6. (C) In a meeting with the Director General of Education Dr. Ali Bahlool, the Director for Girls' Sector Education Ms. Nawal M. Ali Aqili, and the USAID Chief of Party for the Basic Education Support and Training (BEST) Program Dr. Ernest O'Neil, education officials described the barriers to providing quality education to the governorate's children. The main factors of low enrollment include a lack of funding for school construction and maintenance, a dearth of qualified teachers, and economic pressures on children to work. Aqili noted that only 16 percent of girls who should be enrolled in the first through the third grades attend school regularly, and that most of those will drop out before graduating high school. In her opinion, cultural considerations such as the distance a girl must walk alone to school, the lack of a perimeter wall or separate bathrooms, and safety concerns outweigh early marriage as obstacles to girls' enrollment. Bahlool underscored the lack of qualified teachers as the greatest concern. Only 4,000 of the 22,000 teachers in Hudaydah have at least a bachelor's degree, and many of the remaining 18,000 have not graduated high school themselves. O'Neil explained that USAID has plans to renovate a number of schools to make them safer for girls and more multi-functional. COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (C) The JMP representatives in Hudaydah have articulated a more nuanced approach to engagement with the GPC than have their colleagues in other governorates. While the breakdown in dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition is worrisome, the JMP seems to be making a rational move to preserve its own credibility. The JMP representatives in Hudaydah believe they have very little in the way of leverage, and aim to use their one bargaining chip -- open dialogue -- carefully. Though strapped for resources and beleaguered by a long-standing sense of being sidelined, the people of Hudaydah appear proactively committed to improving their economy and community. END COMMENT. SECHE