Civil Conflict in South Vemen
Date
1986
Authors
Katz, Mark N.
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Abstract
In January 1986, fighting erupted in
South Yemen (also known as the People's
Democratic Republic of Yemen- PDRY)
between two factions of the ruling Marxist
leadership. Both of the factions were
strongly pro-Soviet, and the group that won
said it would pursue the same policies as
the group it ousted. What the issues were in
the struggle appeared quite confusing, and
during the ten or so days when the fighting
was at its heaviest, it was unclear what was
happening. Reports that the leaders of each
side had been killed alternated in quick
succession with reports that the leaders of
each were alive and were victorious. By the
time the fighting ended, the top leaders of
one faction had all been killed, but that
faction prevailed nevertheless.
At first glance, what happened in Aden,
South Yemen's capital, might not seem
especially interesting: no matter which
pro-Soviet faction defeated the other, the
USSR would retain its influence in South
Yemen. But skepticism greets the protestations
of the new leaders that they will follow
the same policies as their predecessors,
since the new leaders are associated with a
policy that the ousted leader, 'Ali Nasir
Muhammad al-Hassani, had ended namely,
the exportation of revolution to
South Yemen's neighbors. Hence, predictions
as to the probable behavior of the new
leadership and their Soviet allies toward the
rest of the region are fraught with considerable
uncertainty.
This article will examine the background
of the crisis; the crisis
Description
Keywords
Civil Conflict, Yemen, International relations, Soviet Union