Sweden Has A Role In Yemenis’ Suffering And Must Suspend Its Weapon Sales To Saudi

Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven met Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs,
Nizar bin Obaid Madani in Riyadh, Saudi. October 2016. Photo courtesy: Aftonbladet.

*Swedish media tends to criticize the Swedish-Saudi relation denouncing Sweden’s desire to be an ally to Saudi and pointing out that it is a dictatorship that lacks any free political life and a country that commits massive human rights violations. But it is time to update that perspective: Saudis’ record in human rights violations have exceeded its borders.

Swedes must also condemn Saudi’s war crimes record in Yemen; this most importantly entails Swedes questioning Sweden-made weapon sold to Saudi used in possible war crimes.

Top Swedish arms dealer Marcus Wallenberg "accompanies" Swedish PM  Löfven to Saudi this weekend despite revelations that Saudi armed ISIS.

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 21, 2016

 

Ahead Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven’s visit to Saudi at the end of last month, Wikileaks tweeted that top Swedish arms dealer Marcus Wallenberg “accompanied” Swedish PM Löfven to Saudi. This is plausible as Saudi is one of the top clients of Sweden’s weaponry industry. In its 2016 report, Control Arms Coalition named Sweden as one of the countries having reported licenses and sales to Saudi Arabia in 2015. Saudi won’t obtain all these weaponry unless there is a flourishing market. Saudi is the world’s third-largest spender in military expenditure index. Despite that Sweden has announced last year its military cooperation with Saudi was not renewed, Saab remains able to continue selling arms to Gulf countries - which are active actors in the ongoing conflict in Yemen.

The Saudi-led coalition intervention in impoverished Yemen that began in March 2015 was only possible because of the high level of arms imports made to the coalition 10 Arab state members, headed by oil-rich Saudi. In 2011-15 Saudi Arabia’s arms imports increased by 275 percent compared with 2006-10. In the course of Yemen war, at least 10,000 people have been killed and the UN reported that the Saudi-led coalition is responsible for most civilian casualties. Human rights groups which include Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have both documented dozens of unlawful coalition airstrikes, some of which may amount to war crimes. Schools, hospitals, weddings, funerals among many other civilian targets were not exempted from the coalition airstrikes.

In parallel, calls for countries to stop selling weapons to Saudi are raised. The calls include Sweden who had little or nothing to state in condemning the atrocities in Yemen. I became well-aware of Sweden’s indifference when Sana’a funeral attack happened in which 140 people were killed and over 500 were injured by a double-tap airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition earlier this month. Sweden’s foreign minister, Margot Wallström showed no condemnation statement, whatsoever, while she usually rushes to condemn terrorist attacks elsewhere. Seemingly, Sweden’s silence over the Saudis’ war in Yemen is relevant to Sweden’s arms sales to the kingdom.

Last year, Sweden had a strong stance against Saudi over its terrible human rights violations record, then why the silence today? What has changed now? Why the silence over Saudi’s role in the suffering in Yemen? Sweden’s revival of the Saudi-Swedish ties comes as a step into Swedish preparation for its seat on the UN Security Council in the beginning of next year and with that Sweden seems to be willing to compromise & ally itself with the Saudis. Sweden had to re-establish its good relation to the Saudis and gain Saudis’ support in the council.

In that seat, Sweden actually is becoming increasingly relevant to peace in Yemen - it must honor the international laws and exert efforts to ensure peace; which both Saudi is violating in the war in Yemen. However, Sweden’s indifference over the potential use of its weapons in causing the suffering in Yemen undermines Sweden’s future role in ensuring peace. If Sweden doesn’t condemn Saudi war crimes now, then when will it do so?

It is time to refresh our view on the problem with Sweden allying Saudi considering Saudi’s war crimes record in Yemen war and therefore call upon that Sweden suspend any of its arms sales to Saudi- unless, Sweden would like to be on the wrong side of history.

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*This piece was originally published in Swedish in Swedish magazine, Omvarlden on the 1st of November, 2016.

Caught on video: 'Like asking if you’ll stop beating your wife’, Saudi ambassador dodges Yemen cluster bomb question

Saudi’s ambassador to US, Al-Saud tells us how misogyny is the mother's milk of militarism.

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, Prince Abdullah Al-Saud was asked, “will you continue to use cluster weapons in Yemen?” “This is like the question, ‘Will you stop beating your wife?’” Al-Saud responded, letting loose a bellowing laugh.

More lengthy video of the brave The Intercept reporters’ Zaid Jilani & Alex Emmons debate with Al-Saud can be watched below:

And Zaid Jilani & Alex Emmons' report on The intercept can be read here: https://goo.gl/qc2TVq 

Discussing Yemen is no longer a mere political analysis

Last night I co-spoke in Emmaus Björkå's event. My focus was Yemen. I never was more focused like I was yesterday. Discussing Yemen is no longer a mere political analysis; Discussing Yemen is rather my daily life, my daily calls with shattered family members, relatives, friends, friends of friends and the new Yemeni refugee friends I make along the way. Discussing Yemen is discussing why I have sleepless nights. Discussing Yemen is about why I have this guilt every time I feel full and think of the million children in Yemen who forgot how feeling full used to be. Discussing Yemen is about how I have this guilt every time I get sick and can get medicine while thinking of my fellow Yemenis sieged with no hospitals, and if they can get to the hospital, they can't afford to pay for anything. Discussing Yemen is no longer a mere political analysis, it's rather remembering that fathers today bury their newly-born starved to death babies and can't even afford to buy all gravestones.


My anger is one without scream, my pain is one without tears, for my fellow Yemenis whose blood seems cheaper than the Saudis' cash. So, I spoke last night with a clarity I hope I can keep on holding.

I didn't miss the chance to call on the audience to question what Sweden-made weapon does in Yemen war and many wars in the MENA region. How can Swedes not know how Sweden is investing in conflicts?! hope the audience start to question and be better well-informed citizens and stop the tragedies unfolding in the other corner of the world...coz what happens over there, will, inevitably, backlash.

A letter to Ashraf Fayadh: What is it about poetry?

Today is a solidarity day with jailed Palestinian poet, Ashraf Fayadh. In support of Ashraf, I wrote him a letter in Arabic published on Raseef22.com & below is the English translation. 

*I have no clue how does time taste like behind bars; especially for poets who are imprisoned only because they wrote poetry. Also, I don’t know what is it about poetry that got you snached your freedom from? And what is it, particularly, about poetry that leads to a death sentence in Saudi prison? That compelled me to read more of your poetry and try understand. Through the coming months, as I would read your poems and I would be glad when the death penalty for apostasy conviction against you was quashed into 8 years imprisonment and 800 lashes; but I understand you still face a grim punishment and I can’t even imagine how that eats your soul.

Ashraf, now I know what was it about your poetry that was unsettling to the Saudi system. Its frankness which has no place in our hypothetical world.

I figured that in a recent trip I had. I was in Dubai last month, invited to the launch of an esteemed online news media. I met many Saudi social media celebrities who have millions of followers, be it on Twitter, Facebook or/and youtube – celebrities who have huge influence. Away from the camera, the lights and pretence, I had a face-to-face talk with them. I tried to be frank with them, like you do in your poetry, Ashraf. With no hesitation, I asked them:

–Do you know that your country is bombing my people? (as if they don’t know) Do you support death? Do you support wars?

An immediate joint reply bursted:

-How can anyone support death? Of course we are against wars.

-Then, why don’t you condemn it?” I asked.

-“Our jails are full, you know,” they responded.


And just like that, now I know what was it about your poetry that was unsettling.

Everyone seems to be scared to confront authority, even the sons and daughters of the Saudi land, which makes me wonder how on earth did you, a stateless immigrant in KSA of Palestinian refugee parents, have the courage to confront cultural, societal and governmental authority. You dared to do what few dare to do. Everyone seem to be losing in the war against tyranny. And you, like my own country, Yemen will suffer as long as the strong will do what they can, as Thucydides once said.

“Don’t be fooled by creativity that doesn’t enter territories with grace and frankness. Don’t be fooled by creativity that is allied with self-censorship,” I wanted to tell my Yemeni fellows and these celebrities’ followers. Then, I realized; I’m too guilty of self-censorship, just like everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, Ashraf. It’s cheaper to suppress one’s honest literary thoughts, and for that matter, it is very expensive to be daring. One’s life can get at stake. Your frank poetry is an evidence. Our Ahmed Naji is another evidence. You two, among the many the young jailed artists, had the courage to express with authenticity and no pretence in societies that are ruled by suppression. Simply put, self-censorship had no place in your imagination and arty work. Truth had to be told. But what an expensive truth!

And just like that, now I know what was it about your poetry that was unsettling.

The audacity of your openness with your creativity was your oxygen, Ashraf. You breath in your freedom in expressing genuine thoughts. You weren’t fooled by our type of freedom, where we think twice before we open our mouths, where we prefer the cheap freedom that’s fully tainted by self-censorship, and where we assume that we are free human beings while we are only pretending to be so.

However, as long as you are still in jail and as long as it’s expensive to be totally free in your creativity, your prisonment, Ashraf -just like Ahmed Naji’s- is our so-called free people’s chains. Gloria E. Anzaldúa once said, “I write because I’m scared of writing, but I’m more scared of not writing.” And now I know what was it about your poetry that was unsettling. You were scared of not writing more than anything else. 

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From Ashraf's poems:-

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*This piece was originally published on Raseef.com.

Yemen war one year on: Are peace talks doomed to fail?

*As the war in Yemen enters its second year, the previously adjourned peace talks led by the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, are scheduled to resume in mid-April in Kuwait. The talks cannot succeed until their structure is revised and attitudes are changed on both warring sides.

During the covert and overt peace negotiations to end the conflict, both sides have shown interest in reaching a political solution while accompanying attempts for a ceasefire have been infringed on the ground with increasing brutality.

Talks in Switzerland, in Oman and then again in Switzerland failed to establish concessions for a roadmap to a political solution and a long-term ceasefire. Instead, they gave a chance for warring parties to reposition themselves in renewed fighting.

Significant problems in the talks lay in the structure of the talk process and in the warring sides' attitudes.

Flawed negotiations table

Rather than having a negotiation table that includes all parties to the conflict, previous talks focused exclusively on two parties - Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi's government and the Houthi-Ali Abdullah Saleh alliance - and failed by excluding a major party in the conflict, the Saudi-led coalition supporting Hadi.

The exclusion of the coalition camp ultimately represented an ineffective communication and contributed to the renewal of the fighting more aggressively. Over the past year, more than 6,400 people have been killed and more than 30,000 injured, and 7.6 million people are in a position of severe food insecurity, according to the UN.

It is difficult to see the possibility of productive negotiations if the Saudis don't sit around the table as well and became involved in direct communication with all the warring sides.

A previous exchange of prisoners swap and the latest one between the Houthis and the Saudis, conducted by intervening tribal men, exemplify how talks might be more productive if the two sides started talking to each other.

An important missing component in previous talks was the participation of women. Yemeni women are playing a vital role as advocates for peace-building, as affirmed by Oxfam's executive director, Winnie Byanyima, and yet they have nearly no access to the peace talks.

As a result, Yemeni women are struggling to ensure their participation at the negotiation table through a "Pact for Peace and Security" endorsed by the UN Women, the body created in 2010 as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

Conflicting attitudes

Above all, the logic of the strategies used by both sides demonstrates their different attitudes towards any prospect of peacemaking. The Saudi-led coalition's spokesperson, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Asiri, has stated that its goal is to bring a political solution to the conflict - while the military plan has never ceased.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, has reported that "the coalition is responsible for twice as many civilian casualties as all other forces put together".

On the other side, the Houthi-Saleh bloc's goal is to attain a military victory. Under such attitudes, reaching a political solution is a remote possibility.

Furthermore, the two blocs' disparate political capabilities make it difficult to foresee a political or military answer to end the fight.

The Saudis excel in politics while the political capabilities of the Houthis' are limited, but the latter have excelled in military confrontations as they had previously gained tremendous field experience during the six wars between 2004 and 2010 against the Yemeni government under the now ousted president Saleh's rule.

The idea to keep on fighting till the last drop of blood is not new to them, as fighting has become their forte.

External factors

Additionally, the role of bystanders in this conflict contributes towards slowing any peace process. Western countries such as the United States and Britain are known to be significant suppliers of arms to Saudi Arabia, and they both have kept silent over widely publicised reports about the unlawful use of weapons in Yemen (PDF).

Another bystander in the conflict is the anti-Houthi, silent majority Yemeni group, who are forced to be silent as any dissidence in regard to the Houthis is met with a serious crackdown. Tens of Yemeni journalists have been killed, jailed or forcibly disappeared under the Houthis' rule.

The conflict has caused serious human rights abuses which undermine the objective of a peaceful resolution.

With about 80 percent of Yemen's 21 million people in desperate need of assistance - a figure greater than anywhere in the globe, including Syria - and a looming famine set to ravage the country, the humanitarian situation is catastrophic.

In addition, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is expanding and fighters of the Islamic State group (also known as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) are emerging.

A dangerously growing anti-US and anti-UK sentiment is also on the rise as Yemenis see the US- and UK-made weapons, including cluster bombs, being used by the coalition forces. All these factors will backfire sooner or later.

More importantly, the longer the war drags on, the more do different political and military factions appear in the country. If these factions are not taken into consideration in any negotiation table, achieving a lasting peace will be an impossible mission.

The continuation of the conflict is a recipe for an irreversible disaster. In order to find a solution to the conflict, the warring parties must address the shortcomings of previous talks and come up with a new talks structure, focusing on immediate humanitarian concerns with long-term goals that take into account the full complexity of the conflict. 

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*This op-ed was originally published on Middle East Eye, 30 March 2016. 

Who can hear Yemenis?

AS the bombings intensify in Yemen, dozens of messages from people know in person & who I don't know have been pouring into my fb & email inbox. It's almost the same message, "tell the world that the situation is unbearable in Yemen, Afrah! The killed ones had mercy from Allah, but we, the living ones are going through a slow death. Tell the world, Afrah! Nobody hears us, but you are heard, Afrah!"

Such messages made insomnia my new best friend. As I'm about to finish reading this second book about trauma, I hope I'll get back a little peace of mind & write more & more & 'tell the world' about the tragedy in my country & the agony & pain my people are going through. Until then, these sleepless nights are bombing my head & soul, & I fear I'm wasting time while I'm this paralysed & not writing enough - I should be telling the world.

You know what, it's really a fucking cruel world out there. Most of the "world" has been bought by the Saudi money; even our fucking president, Hadi was bought by the Saudis' money. Each missile & each rocket fired at Yemen is done with the blessings of that mother-fucker president. Then, how can we, poor activists & journalists & bloggers can face the Saudis' power/money/dominance/hegemony-machine? 

Forget about us the [intellectuals]! What ordinary people in Yemen & from Yemen, who are shattered around the world now, what they feel most painful is how painful it is to be neglected & abandoned, not only by the "world" but also by their own fucking president, Hadi. You know that Saudi promised to give the UN big money to address the humanitarian plight in Yemen with 1 condition that's: to be distributed in the Saudi-Hadi liberated areas only. And let the rest of the country starve to death. What kind of a moron president would allow that to happen to his own people, country?! Outrageous is an insufficient word!

Who can hear Yemenis? Who can hear their out-cries? Who can save Yemen? Who..

Intense Fighting Takes its Toll on Taiz

Taiz, Yemen - Footage from last month

"Taiz has witnessed some of the most intense fighting in Yemen’s three-month conflict and still sees regular clashes and civilian fatalities. It had a pre-war population of more than 600,000, but no one knows how many remain........Keeping cool in Taiz in sweltering conditions is a challenge. The temperature has risen to 37 degrees in recent days and much of the city has no electricity.

There is also a chronic shortage of fuel – caused in large part by a Saudi-Arabian-led naval blockade. This, in turn, has led to desperate water shortages as the diesel-fuelled pumps lie idle.

Cases of dengue, diarrhoea and other water-related diseases have spiked, while across the country, malnutrition cases have increased by 150 percent as prices of wheat and other staples have doubled," -Irinnews.