Ministry of Interior Manages to Control Arms-Bearing:

Ministry of Interior announced last week that its affiliates had seized over 3125 firearms nationwide and this brings to 92,028 the number of weapons seized since last August.

Some observers stress that the ministry has succeeded in its plan especially when this move was initiated by issuing resolutions that specify the number of bodyguards supposed to accompany leading personalities and dignitaries and announced then that any confiscated weapons will not returned back.

It also provided a place at the checkpoints where those tending to enter to cities can keep their arms until they return back especially when most Yemenis are used to arm bearing and some have been keen about taking it wherever they go.

According to Interior Ministry's statistics, the rate of crimes has come down and banning arms-bearing inside the cities have put a limit to conflict and armed clashes.

Over the last three years, 5,559 people have been killed and other 17,000 people injured.

Unlike 2003 and the previous years where hundreds were killed in armed clashes with army or security forces, Interior Ministry has managed to control and ban arm bearing without having clashes with tribesmen.

Observers state that spread of arms among Yemenis dates back to the times of political conflicts the country witnessed starting with 26 September Revolution and just its aftermath where both warring parties used to provide tribes with firearms, followed by the midlands events over the late 1970s when big quantities of arms were distributed among locals and ending with the 1994 civil war.

The authorities have recently tried to withdraw all heavy and medium-sized weapons from Yemen's arms markets and they managed to close several markets. This step has caused firearms and ammunitions prices to rocket especially when firearms traders were not allowed to import or buy new weapons together with ban imposed by the American forces positioned in international waters.

However, several Yemeni tribes own heavy and medium-sized weaponry and this prompted by the role the tribe plays in Yemeni culture. It is used as deterrent in its war with enemies.