US embassy cable - 05SANAA180

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 000180 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO MCA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, KMPI, YM, KHUM, KMCC, DEMOCRATIC REFORM 
SUBJECT: WITH CHALLENGES AHEAD, YEMENI NGOS LOOK FOR 
DEMOCRATIC CHANGE 
 
REF: SANAA 2498 
 
Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (U) Summary. Yemen has a developing cadre of local NGOs 
focused on developing civil society and democracy in the 
country.  Leaders of these organizations report that the 
local NGO community is highly motivated to affect change, but 
that they are severely lacking in capacity.  Skills training, 
regional and international civil society exchange programs 
and increased funding are essential to the development of 
Yemeni NGOs if they are to become capable partners in reform. 
 Overcoming significant political obstacles, however, depends 
on a willingness of the ROYG to see civil society groups as a 
partner in making reform policy. End Summary. 
 
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NGOs Rooted in Yemen's History 
------------------------------ 
 
2. (SBU) In a meeting with DCM, Dr. Mohammed al-Masyabi, of 
the Yemen Development Foundation (YDF), explained that part 
of the problem is that most Yemeni NGO workers are unable to 
navigate the modern legal infrastructure created by the ROYG 
in the late nineties.  Most NGO experience, he continued, 
originates from the northern Yemeni "Cooperatives" of the 
1970,s, and from the "Local Councils" of the former 
Communist South.  After unification, these groups 
reconstituted themselves as ad-hoc local charities, only 
becoming legally operating NGOs with wider mandates in the 
late 1990,s. These groups still lack the capacity to 
articulate strategic objectives, or to take proactive 
measures.   (Note: As an example of local NGOs, poor 
capacity, DCM spoke at an October 10 NGO forum in which he 
called for greater effort towards building democracy and 
offered US resources where appropriate.  His audience failed 
to take advantage of the offer and most preferred to end the 
forum with rhetoric rather than focus on practical measures. 
End Note). 
 
3. (C) Many Yemeni NGOs are indeed willing to critically 
examine their society.  Several NGO heads candidly discussed 
with emboffs sensitive issues in Yemen such as press 
freedoms, the use of torture by the security services and 
women's rights.  They are aware, however, of the many 
governmental challenges that prevent progress in these areas, 
such as lack of cooperation between ROYG ministries and 
agencies, the compartmentalization activities and information 
among the various security services, and, most importantly, 
the lack of President Saleh,s willingness to pay more than 
lip service to demands for tangible programs on 
democratization. 
 
------------------------ 
Democracy, Within Limits 
------------------------ 
 
4. (C) NGOs which choose to tackle issues of political 
freedom risk crossing numerous &red lines8 if they address 
issues the ROYG considers taboo, similar to the situation 
Yemeni journalists are currently grappling with (reftel). 
The fear of an ad-hoc prosecution or an attack from the ROYG 
or ruling party newspapers stifles direct advocacy.  (Note: 
After one human rights NGO leader spoke with pol/econoff, a 
ruling party newspaper accused him of passing intelligence to 
foreign embassy staff. End note). 
 
5. (C) Dr. Masyabi also noted to DCM that the very goal of 
democracy building was a still a "sensitive subject" in 
Yemen.  Other NGO heads, such as the heads of the Yemen 
Female Media Forum and a group called the Civic Democratic 
Forum, echoed the same sentiments to pol/econoff. 
 
-------------------- 
Political Challenges 
-------------------- 
 
6. (C) Yemeni NGOs cite "significant" political challenges. 
Several NGOs complain that if their organization were to 
become too strong or effective, it risked being "hijacked" by 
the ruling General People's Congress (GPC) by either stacking 
internal elections with GPC loyalists or creating 
registration problems with a relevant ministry.  NGO 
officials also point to the ROYGs unwillingness to accept 
that true democracy building requires partnership between the 
government and organs of civil society. (Note: "Hijacked" 
NGOs are usually identifiable by their concern over how their 
meetings with foreigners might be reported and their 
peppering their speech with praise for Saleh. End note). 
 
7. (C) Difficulties with institution building, internecine 
squabbling and a lack of cooperation between organizations 
also hinder NGO development.  Several interlocutors pointed 
to an endemic lack of trust among local NGOs, which in turn 
hinders information sharing and prevents collaboration that 
could serve to strengthen local NGOs collectively.  Several 
NGO officials often snipe that other civic organizations are 
"not real."  According to common wisdom, although there are 
over 2000 NGOs in Yemen, only a handful can be considered 
"real ones." (Comment: infighting and a lack of common cause 
among NGOs is a reflection of the Yemeni political culture at 
large which lacks cohesion around a common goal.  The lack of 
skills and a modern business infrastructure, however, 
seriously hamper Yemeni NGOs from taking on major partners 
and limit Yemen's ability to absorb donor aid.  End Comment). 
 
--------------------------- 
Momentum Starting to Build 
--------------------------- 
 
8. (U) NGO leaders believe that despite the many challenges, 
energy is building within the NGO community.  They also 
repeatedly point to the fact that NGO seminars and 
conferences are well attended and often draw ROYG ministers. 
Three types of Yemeni NGOs have proven most effective to 
date:  Islamic-based charities which tend to be the most 
successful at fundraising; Government-based NGOs, such as the 
al-Saleh Foundation, which are able to grab the media 
limelight while failing to enhance the role of civil society; 
and, human and women's rights NGOs which are increasingly 
effective at organizing mass conferences to call attention to 
human rights issues. 
 
9. (U) The Islamic-based charities are a mixed bag, some 
appear quiet legitimate while others, like the al-Ihsan 
Foundation, have extremist-Wahabi leanings.  Most difficult 
to assess are those falling in-between.  The Islah Charitable 
Society, for example, is the oldest NGO in Yemen.  Although 
it maintains a fundamentalist ideology in practice it works 
within the system and advocates a pluralist approach to 
political change. 
 
10.  (U) Government-based NGOs have the advantage of the 
state-run media behind their campaigns.  Insiders in the NGO 
community complain that such institutions, particularly the 
al-Saleh Foundation, which is linked to the President's 
family, swallow smaller NGOs and force others to align their 
efforts with them.  Nevertheless, even some 
government-affiliated NGOS have been successful at resisting 
government control over their agenda.  The National Council 
for Women (NWC), for example, has repeatedly proven to be a 
challenge to the ROYG despite their governmental affiliation 
and partial cooptation by the larger and more official Saleh 
group.  When asked to comment on her group's government 
affiliation in light of having to challenge that same 
government for change, the head of NWC, Ramzia al-Iriyani, 
noted to pol/econoff that it is in fact easier to challenge 
those in &your family.8 
 
11. (U) Human Rights NGOs are proving very effective at 
organizing mass conferences that call attention to human 
rights problems.  One women's rights NGO recently organized a 
conference that witnessed calls for a "real" representative 
government.  Despite such verbal challenges, however, these 
organizations are still not able to affect ROYG behavior or 
effectively galvanize public opinion behind their calls for 
reform. 
 
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Comment 
------- 
 
12. (C) Yemeni NGOs are beginning to publicly call for a true 
role in developing their country.  Yemeni civil society is 
filled with enthusiastic activists who are willing to 
dedicate considerable time and effort to organizing, raising 
consciousness and lobbying.  NGOs, however, neither sway the 
government's behavior nor significantly affect public opinion 
as of yet.  There is an opportunity for Public Diplomacy, 
MEPI, and USAID programming, through partnership, training 
and direct support to effectively contribute to the 
development of Yemen's nascent civil society at this early 
but crucial phase of its development.  What needs to be 
monitored is how far the ROYG will let NGOs go in their 
advocacy and how far NGOs will actually push for true respect 
of human and civil rights in order to allow for civil society 
to take hold. 
Krajeski