VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYN #2219 3491505
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151505Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3391

UNCLAS SANAA 002219 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ARP AMACDONALD AND G/TIP SAHLUWALIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIP ELAB KCRM KWMN KMCA PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG
YM 
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE RESPONSE: IMPLEMENTATION OF CHILD 
SOLDIERS PREVENTION ACT 
 
REF: STATE 121328 
 
¶1.  PolOff delivered reftel demarche and non-paper on 
December 14 to Khalil Mohammed of the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs' (MFA) Two Americas Department and Amani Ali Salih 
al-Wathai, assistant to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 
Muhi al-Dhabbi.  Mohammed and Wathai accepted the points of 
the demarche, and countered that Yemeni law clearly forbids 
the participation of anyone under the age of 18 in Yemen's 
armed services.  Mohammed said that the problem of child 
soldiers in Yemen is not endemic; it is much smaller than is 
reported by some media outlets and non-governmental 
organizations.  Amani admitted, however, that the problem is 
compounded by Yemeni tribal culture, which traditionally 
requires boys as young as 14 or 15 to get married and defend 
their family and tribe. 
 
¶2.  PolOff discussed with Mohammed and Wathai the serious 
implications in terms of lost military assistance if Yemen is 
identified in 2010 as being a country that has governmental 
armed forces or government-supported armed groups that 
recruit and use child soldiers.  Both were eager to prevent 
Yemen from losing "badly needed" assistance from the U.S.  It 
was decided that another meeting would be held between PolOff 
and the MFA in early 2010.  At that time, the MFA will make 
its case about what the ROYG is doing to prevent and combat 
the problem of child soldiers in Yemen. 
SECHE