VZCZCXYZ0016
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYN #2164/01 3321356
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281356Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8473
INFO RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA  PRIORITY
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SANAA 002164 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR NEA 
STATE PASS TO AID/ANE/MEA FOR MWARD, DMCLOUD, JWOOD 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KMPI PREL YM
SUBJECT: SECURITY CONCERNS PROMPT SHIFT OF GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS OF USG 
DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IN YEMEN 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (U) On November 12, the Ambassador chaired an inter-agency 
meeting to discuss future programming of USG development activities 
in Yemen. The group concluded that the USG will not expend any new 
funds in Sa'ada, Al-Jawf, Amran, Mareb, and Shabwa, where sufficient 
USG oversight has not been possible over a 6 to 12 month period in 
some locations.  On November 26, Ambassador Seche met with the 
Deputy Minister of Planning and International Cooperation to convey 
this decision. On November 27, USAID/Yemen was informed by the 
Deputy Minister that the government will start immediately to 
improve security in these areas. He also invited the Ambassador to 
travel to these areas in several months to witness first hand the 
improvement in security and reconsider the decision to not expend 
new funds in these areas.  End summary. 
 
USG SHIFT IN GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) USG agencies (United States Agency for International 
Development, Department of Defense (DOD), Middle East Partnership 
Initiative (MEPI), and the United States Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) invest in a range of development activities throughout Yemen. 
The majority of these development activities are implemented in five 
remote governorates (Sa'ada, Al-Jawf, Amran, Mareb, and Shabwa) 
underserved by the Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG) and 
vulnerable to terrorist recruitment and activity. An escalation of 
terrorist activity and the deterioration of law enforcement in these 
governorates in the past year have increased the danger to USG and 
implementing partner personnel and prevented sufficient oversight 
and monitoring of development activities. 
 
¶3. (U)Against this backdrop, on November 12 Ambassador Seche chaired 
an inter-agency meeting to discuss future programming of development 
activities in Yemen. It was decided that the USG (USAID, MEPI, USDA, 
and DOD) will not expend any new funds on projects in the five 
governorates previously targeted by USAID: Sa'ada, Al-Jawf, Amran 
(with limited exceptions), Mareb, and Shabwa.  In Amran governorate, 
the USG will continue to invest in activities in Amran city and 
Thula south to the border.  This decision was made given that, due 
to insecurity in these governorates, USG employees have not been 
able to travel regularly to these areas over a sustained period of 
time to provide sufficient project oversight and monitoring: travel 
to Al-Jawf and Sada'h has been off limits for official Americans 
since 2006. 
 
¶4. (U) Ongoing USG projects will continue in these areas. As soon as 
security permits regular travel by USG employees over a 6 to 12 
month period, the USG will reconsider investing new funds into these 
governorates. Until then, USG agencies will focus their efforts and 
resources in more secure areas, where they can make an impact and 
have sufficient project oversight and monitoring, but not risk the 
safety of their staff. Effective immediately, the USG will work with 
other donors to identify new governorates in which to support 
projects. During the next year, the USG - specifically USAID and 
DOD's Civil Affairs team - will work to handover existing projects 
in these five governorates to the ROYG. Given USDA projects are 
bilaterally approved, any shift in USDA projects will require mutual 
approval by the USG and the ROYG. 
 
MEETING WITH ROYG 
----------------- 
 
¶5. (U)On November 26, Ambassador Seche and USAID's Program 
Development Specialist met with the ROYG's Deputy Minister for 
Planning and International Cooperation Hisham Sharaf Abdullah to 
convey this shift in geographic focus for USG programming.  The 
Ambassador stated that the decision to not expend any new funds in 
these locations is driven by his responsibility to ensure the 
security and safety of his staff, which is his number one priority 
at all times. He added that USG programs in other parts of the 
country are unaffected by this decision. The Ambassador emphasized 
the ongoing USG commitment to Yemen and the five governorates in 
question, and the importance of the US -Yemeni strategic 
partnership. 
 
¶6. (SBU)Deputy Minister Abdullah expressed his understanding of the 
decision, agreeing that the safety and security of USG staff and its 
partners is priority. He commented that this decision was 
understandable, noting that the Dutch have expressed concerns 
recently regarding security of their personnel in these five 
governorates. He mentioned several new security tactics that will be 
implemented to improve the security situation throughout the 
 
country. He explained as an example how security checkpoints will be 
reinforced to ensure cities become weapon-free.  He indicated that 
the ban on firearms in major urban centers is having a positive 
impact, and will be expanded in the future. He emphasized that Yemen 
is in need of as much donor support as it can get from its friends, 
adding that bilateral relations will not be negatively affected by 
this decision. 
 
FOLLOW UP 
--------- 
 
¶7. (U) On November 27, Deputy Minister Abdullah called USAID/Yemen's 
Program Development Specialist to say that he had informed President 
Saleh of the November 26 meeting with Ambassador Seche.  He stated 
that the ROYG will begin immediately to improve security in the five 
targeted areas in question. He also invited the Ambassador to travel 
to these areas in two to three months to witness firsthand the 
improvement in security and be convinced that the USG should start 
new activities in these targeted areas. 
 
SECHE