Statement of the
legal and Media Team
Who visits the
districts of Kusher and Mustaba
In Hajjah
Governorate
In the period from :
10/3-13/3/2012
Sana'a, March 17,
2012
A number of
journalists and legalists directed on Saturday 10/3/2013 to conflicts areas of
the districts of Mustaba and Kusher and saw the humanitarian conditions and
recorded all things related to the conflicts that caused human and material
damages.
The team met for
three days with all conflict parties including mediators and social figures and
local council members in the governorate and the district, in addition they met
with the people who displaced from their homes with recording and documenting
to the violations and crimes that committed against the people of those areas
and the results were:
First: the mediation
committee
We found, during our
meeting with the supervision committee on implementing the truce between the
conflict parties, that the situation still tense and the fire shooting did not
stop until one week before our visit and there were some violations despite the
signature of the truce in 27/1/2012. The role of the state is completely
absence in its duty in protecting citizens and fixation security and stability.
There are no guaranties to implement this truce unless the obligation of the
all conflict parties.
Second: Al-Houthis
We met with the
leader in al-Houthi group Abu Yahya al-Matari, and we get that Al-Houthis came
from Sa'ada to protect the house of al-Madani and they started publish their
ideas peacefully and they distributed chants and slogans in mosques, so they
got objection from the people of Mustaba who they are not object their coming
from outside the province, but they were objected by the people of Kusher
district. Al-Matari said that they entered to Kusher as fighters, and it was a
self-defense.
The team visited the
house of Abu Yousef al-Madani, and found some bullets on a number of walls of
the house. Al-Houthis did not speak about how much they got killed from them,
while the road of Ahem- Harradh was passing through Mustaba, and it was under
their control, and blocked.
Al-Houthis provided
for the visitors a number of pictures of handwritten papers that they said they
found them in the House of the Qur'an in Ahem, and it includes inciting on
them.
Al-Houthis showed
their ready to leave the area in case of implementation of all clauses of the
treaty, with existing of some objections.
Third: tribes
In the next day, on
Monday 12/3/2012, we visit Ahem Souq that gathered by tens of thousands every
Monday from different areas of neighboring provinces such as Sa'ada,
al-Hodeidah, Hajjah and al-Mahweet, and we found the markets completely empty
and closed, and people are in the case-see caution that prevails in the days of
war.
As we stood there in
the city of Ahem, we saw the crimes committed against the residents and owners
of shops and places of worship where houses demolished and other houses was
bombed by various heavy weapons and a number of shops and stores of goods were
all burned, and the sanctity of ALLAH (GOD) houses and the Center for AL-Quran
memorization that contained a special section to orphans care have been also
violated.
During the visit, we
found the tribes of Hagur saying that al-Houthis invade their tribes from many
provinces and have disabled the schools and mosques, and blocked the roads,
especially the asphalt main road connecting the Directorate of Mustaba with
Kusher district, and it considers a life vessel for Kusher, specifically for
Ahem, which forced citizens to search for an alternative route that is more
rugged, costly, fatigue and discomfort.
Al-Houthis are
unjustly blocking the road of Mustaba and Kusher and imposed a siege on its
people who are living very difficult conditions because the lack of access of
petroleum products to terminals, as well as their lack of many basic needs and
differences in prices that make their life worse.
Citizens who met by
the team said that al-Houthis attacked directly on villages with artillery and
heavy weapons and engaged with murder, wound, and the displacement of about
15,000 people from the region, where they became displaced in the neighboring districts
after the war forced them to leave their homes, and the disruption of their
salaries due to the violent war.
The legal and media
team received from the media center of Hagur tribes documents that had found in
the area of al-Mazra’ah, which was patrolled by al-Houthis, and it included
plans of coordinates to hit houses and gathering places in Kusher district by
using different mortar, artillery and other heavy and medium weapons.
Those plans and
coordinates also included some of the names of different places including the
target of the Qur'an House in Ahem area, as al-Houthis called it as the house
of fraud and disbelief as well as the American compound in reference to the
headquarters of the Yemeni Islah Party in the same area.
The team saw the scream
slogan of al-Houthis has been printed in the walls of houses, shops and mosques
and on the roadsides in a manner described by Kusher citizens as a provocation,
as well as their closing a lot of schools and houses of worship for no other
reason but because they refused to sing their slogan as stated by some people
who met by the team.
Citizens, in the
displaced camp, are demanding the state to intervene and not to stand silent
and idly in front of their case and from those who they described them as the
occupiers, al-Houthis.
They also called for
humanitarian organizations to provide shelter and tents, as it was not
distributed enough tents, only a small amount did not meet the minimum of their
need for shelter, and they also lack from food, bed and medication, and so far
they didn’t receive any assistance from any side.
The team has
received from the Media Center of Hagur tribes the latest statistics for
damages and human and material losses suffered as a result of the war, and they
are as follows:
94 dead and 154 wounded, and the closure of 9
schools and 20 mosques and the closure of 7 clinics and burning 3000 Quran and
the closure of 9 Petroleum stations, and the displacement of nearly 15,000
citizen that equivalent of 5,000 households.
Statistics indicate
that 2750 workers lost their jobs and their interests due to Ahem market
bombing by mortars and artillery fire by militants of al-Houthi stationed in
the mountains and in Ab Modaour area.
Information provided
by the Media Center said that al-Houthis murdered the child Ameen Raypan, after
his abduction, kidnapping and torture as well as detained a number of people
from Kusher Directorate, including Ali Mohamed Qaid Gahouh and mining the dead
bodies and the homes of citizens and some government institutions.
• Fourth: the local
authorities
On Tuesday 13/
3/2012, the team visited the leadership of the local authority in the province
where they met both the Secretary-General of the province Ameen al-Qudami and
Deputy of the province, Sheikh Ismail Al-Mahim, which they noted that
al-Houthis came from outside the province to expand, and they came armed in
many numbers and aroused the concern of the local authorities and citizens. And
they have received a number of communications on practices and attacks by these
elements, and prevent people from praying in mosques.
Al-Qudami said that
he contacted with the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the current
President Abd Rabo Mansour Hadi, and Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, commander of the
North region, but they asked us to do any exit that helping to calm the
situation, without providing any other help.
He emphasized that
the potential of the local authority, security and military, is less than of
al-Houthi potentials, which controls the Directorate of Mustaba and blocked the
main roads that leading to the rest of the districts.
Al-Mahim who belongs
to the Directorate of Mustaba said that the people of the directorate are under
pressure and oppression and they refuse to take their area as a base for al-Houthis
who wants to beat Kusher districts, and refuse to cut off the main road passing
their district, and to prevent pass through to and from Harradh city.
According to
Al-Mahim, any reconciliation did not contain the departure of al-Houthis from
the Directorate of Mustaba and the rest of the villages and areas of Hajjah
province will not lead to a solution.
He said he
appreciates Hagur tribes for prevent al-Houthis expansion in the province, and
their defense of their lands which was in defense of the entire province.
• Conclusions:
- We did not find in
the area of Abu Dowar, which al-Houthis are based there, any damage or
destruction, and they prevented the team to visit any facilities that the
citizens say it is affected and controlled by them in Mustaba.
- We noted the
presence of three checkpoints to al-Houthi gunmen on the road from Khamis
Mustaba to Bani Dowar with the presence of armed children in those points who
are used in the confrontations.
- There is a camp in
the area Bani Khamj for citizens displaced from Ahem and Kusher regions and
said that they were displaced from their homes due to attacks on their areas by
al-Houthis who occupied their homes.
We found in our way
to Ahem region two camps for displaced people in Wadi al-Aredh valley that is
the largest where extending over an area of 2 square kilometers, starts from
the station Al-Moballel and ends to school of Ammar bin Yasser in Khairan
Directorate coves on the side of the valley, the population has fled from Ahem,
al-Qudain, al-hazha and al-Hobwah villages.
- According to
witnesses, al-Houthis mined the governmental institutions of a vocational
training center and the security center of Ahem region and mining bodies of the
dead and a number of houses.
- Ahem market city
is empty from the population with the presence of damages in some homes as a
result of shelling by al-Houthis.
- The visiting team
felt on the urgency of the citizens to depart out the insurgents who came from
other provinces to their area, as well as the great displeasure of the State's
laggard position.
- The team visited a
number of houses and private institutions destroyed by the bombing of
al-Houthis on Ahem region, including mosques, schools and educational
institutes.
- Al-Houthis refused
to allow the team to visit some government institutions they control in the
area of Ahem and Mustaba.
- Al-Houthis refused
to give any information on the numbers of dead and wounded in their side, and
said that there were dead among the two parties and estimated by hundreds.
- The team saw
gunmen belong to al-Houthi assault on the citizen Ahmed Ali Abu Ga’ran after
raising his voice in front of the visiting team calling for al-Houthis to leave
Mustaba territory, where the Houthis beat him with rifle butts.
- Shooting fire from
the building of vocational training center in Ahem during the visit of media
and legal team for the region, and Houthis has been admitted to their station
at the center.
- The Team received
a tip on his way back to prevent a member of the supervision committee from the
implementation of the last clauses of the treaty from passing the areas they
control in Mustaba what forced him to return and spend the night in the areas controlled
by tribes.
- The Team received
a tip for the death of citizen, and others injured in a landmine explosion
planted by Houthis in the home of the dead citizen who returned to inspect his
home at Ahem market.
- Citizens living in
areas of the Directorate of Ahem in difficult situations due to the blockade
imposed on them by al-Houthi militants who control the corridors leading to the
Directorate.
- The citizens
forced to pass the dirt and rugged road to reach to Ahem area and the transfer
of basic necessities of the city, causing a rise in commodity prices in general
rates ranging between 30 to 60% and rising prices of water tankers that being
moved from the valleys up the distance to the double times the distance of the
original valleys.
- Citizens informed
the team that officials of the local authority in Mustaba region involved with
Houthis and delivered them the Directorate easily.
• Finally, the
recommendations:
- The team
recommends al-Houthi group to lift the points and the siege imposed on the
people of Ahem region and opening roads and allowing citizens to pass and not
intercepted or detained or abducted, and not to use children in armed conflicts
and wars.
- The team
recommends al-Houthi group to evacuate the government facilities completely,
and disarm mines planted in the region.
- The team
recommends the two parties to work on the implementation of the truce signed on
27/1 /2 012 and lift barracks and to return life to normal.
- The team
recommends visiting local and international organizations working in the
humanitarian field to pay attention to the tragic situation of displaced people
in camps.
- The team
recommends visiting President of the Republic and the Government of National
Unity and the local authority and the military committee to extend the
influence of the state and protect the citizens, and stop the bloodshed in the
districts of Mustaba and Kusher and dismantling of roads and work on extraction
of mines and the return of displaced people to their homes.
- The media and
legal team calls for attorney general to investigate the crimes committed
against innocent citizens.
- The team
recommends visiting various media means to show the humanitarian situation in
areas of Hogur and give it more attention.
Issued by the media
and legal team
Who visited the
regions of Mustaba and Kusher
15/3/2011
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