The National Democratic Institute (NDI) in collaboration with the Supreme National Committee for Fighting Revenge Killing (SNCFRK) launched the first national campaign aiming to fight revenge killing through three private societies in Mareb, Al-Jawf and Shabwa.

During the launch, NDI projected a film including scenes of schools destroyed by revenge killings as well as part of the sufferings of locals from other tribes.

It also presented a brief account about its campaign planned and implemented in cooperation with the three local societies, together with some newspapers and websites, adding the campaign will continue until August.

The member of SNCFRK Judge Al-Mawri delivered a speech in which he laid the responsibility on the tribal society for most revenge killing cases, stressing that tribal society shows no cooperation with the security authorities to terminate the revenge killing phenomenon.

Al-Mawri added that blame should not be always directed to government as society itself shares part of the responsibility. However, he never exposed the role his committee has played since its establishment in 1993 or the cases it helped in resolving.

He mentioned that his committee interfered for resolving a revenge killing case in Al-Dhal'e, but it has not solved the problem as it managed not to secure YR 13 million in blood money.

For his part, NDI director Peter Dimitroff pointed out that education is important and considered it to be the cornerstone for resolving the issue, hinting they will work with partners for initiating on the awareness campaign.

Head of Conflict Management Program at the NDI Nadwa Al-Dawsari declared that they will start an awareness campaign in collaboration with some parties including SNCFRK.

The campaign will also include distributing brochures and media campaigns through different media outlets.

Mohammed Yahya Ahmed expressed his surprise over having a media awareness campaign in an English newspaper and an electronic website targeting locals of Mareb where very few people navigate the site, emphasizing that most areas lack in electricity, maintaining the campaign is useless especially when illiteracy rates reach 80 percent in the province.

Sheikh Yahya Al-Shareef from Mareb criticized the manner in which the three societies presented the campaign as they did not come to the required level. He criticized confining themselves to projecting the sufferings of locals and the destroyed schools.

Al-Shareef went on to say that these societies should present their media vision they are due to implement, assuring that insufficiency of experience and their recent establishment could have a role to play in this respect.   

However, Sheikh Ahmed Da'wan revealed that it is state responsibility to rethink distributing projects over which tribes clash, continuing that education is the best solution for preventing revenge killings.

For his part, Member of Parliament and Mareb's renowned Sheikh Ali Abd Rabu Al-Qadhi asserted that revenge killing is widespread nationwide, maintaining the problem will come to an end once good offices for the government exist.

Al-Qadhi added that there is nothing in the tribal society that prompts revenge killing or violence as held by some, stating that it is mainly caused by the buildup of problems that go unresolved due to the lack of the existence of a  fair judicial system.

He revealed that he has an integrated vision for resolving revenge killing issues and he is going to present it if requested to do so.

Sheikh Sultan Al-Aradah, a member of Shoura Council, stated that revenge killing is as old as the history itself, and spreads in undeveloped countries like Yemen, emphasizing that strong state and fair judiciary are the key factors for terminating the phenomenon.  

Al-Aradah further stressed the importance for more awareness campaigns in mass media outlets and through organizations and societies, adding revenge killing issues will not vanish with a political resolution, a symposium, a course or media campaign, but through a constant and joint efforts.

Sheikh Aboud Al-Shareef defended the societies and noted what has been projected by societies is real and a positive work; however, he confessed the existence of some mistakes and shortcomings.

Likewise, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Basha bin Zaba' assured that revenge killing has negative impacts on education and man's stability and security, and stressed the importance of collaborating the efforts to terminate the issue.

Bin Zaba' continued that President Saleh's call, in his recent visit, for terminating revenge killing cases has been widely welcomed by all parties and tribes signed an two-year initial reconciliation agreements, hinting they are waiting for a similar call by Saleh to extend the reconciliation period.

He added that some state officials were unhappy with the recent reconciliation in Mareb and thus officials have not urged Saleh to ask locals for an additional two-year reconciliation period, because they think that their personal interests are in having revenge killings aflame.