Weapon Ban Strategy Successful Until now: Dealers Handing in their Weapons

Two weeks ago, Yemen took its biggest step yet in fighting the existence of weapons as a nationwide campaign begun with a goal to close down all weapon shops throughout the country. Until today, 209 weapon shops have been closed down. The government's policy in its campaign was to close down the shops and reimburse weapons dealers by buying their weapons from them, therefore causing the dealers no losses. However, over 148 shop owners refused to hand in their weapons to the government, resulting in them being imprisoned until they sell their weapons. Over 160,000 pieces of weapons have been taken away by the government until today. "We are going from one dealer to another, and until now matters are going smoothly and locals and being helpful, as they understand our goal in this campaign," said an interior ministry official who is involved with the weapon ban campaign. “There are no exceptions, all shops must be closed down.”

This is considered a huge step, especially following the small steps that were taken previously to limit the spread of weapons. Three years ago, the government started fighting the  existence of weapons in major cities. Leading Opposition figures including Sheikh Abdul Majeed Zindani at the time thought that the government should not be allowed to completely ban the existence of weapons as it will only lead to more problems, and keep the people unready for any vulnerable attack from other countries. However, local organizations that fight the existence of weapons in Yemen including the Rights Information and Training Center believe that weapons in Yemen has turned from a  great phenomenon into a matter that has seen great successful strides in less than three years since trying to limit its presence.

Government forces have taken a stronger stance in fighting weapons from different angles, one which includes limiting the issuance of weapon licenses to local tribe leaders or sheikhs. "Everyone was a Sheikh three years ago, and it was the easiest way to get a license for a hand or machine gun. All you needed was people to prove that for you, or in easier circumstances a security official who knew you," said Mansoor Ali al-Asbahi, a Sheikh and neighborhood leader in Sana'a. "After my license expired last year, I tried very hard to renew it, but the procedures were not the same as before. I was not given a license for the first time in fifteen years."

Yemen's interior ministry estimates there are about 65 million firearms in Yemen, or an estimated three for every citizen. This number is excluding the millions of Jambiya's (daggers) spread in the country. "Just as you have your tie, the Yemeni will carry his gun," says political science professor Ahmed al-Kibsi. "It needs time, especially in the rural areas with the tribes and traditional people. For some of them collecting guns is a hobby, and these collections are giving the government a real problem," he says.

There are approximately 18 legitimate markets for the arms trade all over Yemen, the most prominent of which are Jahana and Ataleh. Upon reaching the Jahanah weapon shop, one can notice shops lined up on both sides of a wide unpaved street, and immediately upon arrival, young sellers and brokers will approach you to ask whether you are buying or selling. Upon visiting the shops, one can notice that everything can be sold in the shops, from the smallest pen guns to the heaviest artillery.

Member of Parliament Sheikh Sultan Asamei, who is a member of the Yemeni Socialist Party, thinks the opposite, and believes that the government has still not done enough to stop the existence of weapons in major cities. He attributes the arms phenomenon in Yemen to the "inefficiency of the state to maintaining security in the country, so people are forced to carry weapons to defend themselves and their rights, however if the state has the intention and ability to protect people, the carrying of arms will end". He added that arms markets in Yemen exist with approval from the government and that everybody is aware of this fact. He claims that some markets are even in partnership with some government officials, hence they profit from such trade.” Asamei stressed that the Yemeni parliament has not practiced any control over the arms trade in Yemen until now, in the required manner; "Parliament had a proposed law for the possession of arms that is yet to be discussed, and it's been two years now." He continues, "As for the government, it benefits from the arms trade, the inability of the people to reach a degree of consciousness, and from the continuation of chaos and depletion of people as a result of this trade; in short, there is no intention to build a state that is controlled by law and order and that is responsible for the safety of all".

Eiz Eddin al Asbahi, the director of the Human Rights Information and Training Center, and the coordinator of the regional network to limit the misuse of light arms said that the most recent study in Yemen carried out by both organizations found that nine million was an approximate figure for the number of small arms, commenting that the governments figures were too exaggerated. He adds that in relation to the population of Yemen, each adult male citizen owns 3 or 4 weapons. The study indicates that arms are common in certain geographical parts of Yemen, and that each citizen in such areas has a large share of arms.”

Al Asbahi attributes the spread of weaponry in Yemen to "the weakness of the law, because in principle, Yemeni law permits the acquisition of arms as it considers the possession of arms a right and so seeks to regulate it. The current law, which may be amended in the next parliamentary session, in fact significantly adds to the spread of arms because it states that the presence of weapons outside of major cities does not require a permit.”