20 Tips for the New Envoy: Spend time on 'qat' and don't ignore the south and apologize to your family
English - Saturday 19 June 2021 الساعة 11:38 am
NewsYemen, written by Farea Al-Muslimi :
1- don't accept The job is . Really don't, and if you must, apologize to your family in advance.
2- Before accepting this job, stipulate that a new UN Security Council resolution be issued to replace Resolution No. 2216. Otherwise, all you will do is waste everyone's time.
3- Be patient, things in Yemen take a lot of time, and trying to do a lot of things quickly will make your predecessors in the position make a lot of mistakes (see: Jamal Benomar’s rush towards federalism and Martin Griffith’s haste and exaggerated ambition in the Stockholm Agreement in 2018).
4- Don't try to reinvent the wheel, but study the efforts made by previous envoys and build on what is there. In any case, Plan B and Plan C should be ready, because Plan A is not likely to work.
5- They say that the devil lies in the details, but in Yemen the golden rule is that the devil - not only the devil, but all his tribe - lies in the details (see: Riyadh Agreement 2019, Peace and National Partnership Agreement 2014, Economic and Security Aspects Of Stockholm Agreement 2018).
6- If you come to a deal, take it immediately. There is no such thing as a "better deal" tomorrow. Start small and build bigger.
7- “There is no military solution to the war in Yemen.” We all know that, and it's true. But there is no "UN solution to the war in Yemen" either. Know that you will need help, in fact you will need a lot of help.
8- Make a woman your ally. Yemeni women have released more prisoners than all the UN envoys combined. You will need their help, help and advice.
9- Spend time in the divans (khat sessions), this will help you understand how things are really going in Yemen.
10- Listen to your Yemeni advisors. They are familiar with the local historical context and know what has worked and what has failed in the past, and the reasons for success and failure. In addition, they understand the unwritten social and political rules in Yemen, and this is critical. Just as important, when it comes to the international experts you surround yourself with, choose someone who is willing to tell you you're wrong.
11- Don't compete with other diplomats for space, control and time, it's too childish and you'll get distracted from the more important work. On the contrary, cooperation and coordination with them will increase your influence.
12- Do not accept gifts or compliments from regional powers.
13- Do not ignore the southern issue or the economic file, as all those who preceded you did so, and they were all doomed to failure.
14- Do not interfere in humanitarian issues, this is not the path you should follow. There your energy will be drained, your plans will be derailed, and worse, humanitarian issues will become hostage to the political process (see: the Safer and Sanaa airport).
15- Do only promise what you can fulfill, because promises cannot be undone in Yemen. If you promise something and don't keep it, you will lose trust and never get it back.
16- Threats won't work, don't even try them; Everyone has weapons, but you don't.
17- Stick to the Yemeni calendar. Thursdays and Ramadan are not good times to get things done in Yemen. Understand that there are things you can change and things you can't, so know the difference between the two.
18- Read Steve Catton’s book “Peaks of Yemen, I Summon” and Paul Dresch’s “A History of Modern Yemen” book, and of course everything published by the Sana’a Center.
19- Know that you will be accused, intimidated, insulted and attacked by the parties to the conflict and by everyone else in Yemen and the region. This is the most thankless work. Make sure you have the strength to withstand it. Always speak clearly and openly. Do not accept nonsense. This is more important. It is neither helpful nor welcome to be “nice,” “neutral,” and “complimentary” when it comes to Yemen. Also know that you may fail, but don't let that stop you from trying new things. You have to hope that the future is brighter even when others say it will get darker. As the outgoing special envoy once told me, “Hope is the only currency a broker has.”
20. Finally, in the spirit of George Orwell's commandments in writing: "Break any of these commandments before [doing] anything so reckless." But the more of these commandments you break, the more difficult your task will be.
Farea Al-Muslimi is co-founder and president of the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies. A non-resident fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs - Chatham House - in London, and a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center - Beirut, and the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC. He is a member of the expert advisory group to study progress on youth, peace and security in Security Council Resolution (2250).
*Quoted from the Sana'a Center for Studies.
