Since the summer of 2007, Yemen’s southern provinces have witnessed widespread peaceful protest against the government in Sana‘a. In order to understand the significance of this opposition movement, it is necessary to look back to unresolved political issues at the time of Yemen’s unification in 1990. Events today reveal lingering problems with Yemen’s unity arrangement — problems which first surfaced in political conflict leading to a brief civil war in 1994. Leaders of today’s non-violent protests are successfully increasing political pressures which may soon lead to a change in Yemen’s government.

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