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Assaiani district security Director shot to death Khaled Mohammed Derhem from Al-Udain district, IBB, following a dispute between them at a check-point near Taiz. Reliable sources told the Yemen Times that Director of Taiz security Office arrested the killer and some of the victim's relatives. However, the killer was released a few hours later while the victim's relatives are still held prisoners. Hundreds of Assaiani people staged a demonstration Yesterday in Ibb demanding arrest of the killer. The Sana'a branch of Yemeni Authors & Writers Union last Wednesday held a ceremony on the first anniversary of the death of the Great Yemeni Poet, Abdullah Al-Baradouni. A number of poets and writers delivered speeches on the occasion, expressing sorrow for his departure from the Yemeni realm of culture. A number of Late Baradouni's poems which he wrote at different stages of his life were read at the ceremony. Baradouni's poetry and other literary works have enriched the Yemeni cultural life and the Yemeni library. Aden Chamber of Commerce and Industry concluded last Thursday a week of activities including discussions of various issues related to trade, investment, significance of small enterprises, Yemen's strategic vision in 2025, etc. A seminar on the Arab investment experience in Yemen was also organized as part of the Chamber's celebration of the 114th anniversary of its establishment. Speeches highlighting the importance of investment in Aden, facilities Arab and foreign investors enjoy and current investment program and projects in Aden were made by Mr. Mohammed Omar Bamashmos, chairman of ACCI, Mr. Abdulkareem Mateer, Director general of the General Investment Authority and Dirhem Abdu Noman, chairman of the Aden Free Zone. Speeches pointed out that 336 licenses for investment projects at the cost of YRs 542 billion had been issued since March 1992. More details next week. Practical implementation of the first phase of Aden Industrial Zone is to begin next October, Mr. Dirhem Abdo Noman, Vice-Chairman of the General Board of Free Zones, Chairman of Aden Free Zone, told the "Yemen Times". He added that during the first week of this month a Dutch company: Nako, shall arrive to receive plans concerning the Goods & Stevedoring Village (GSV) as well as tender documents which it had prepared for the execution of the project Mr. Noman maintained that recent work on the road leading to GSV had already been started. He also expressed his hope that all phases of work at the Free Zone shall be implemented in a period earlier than scheduled. American companies have submitted requests for establishing different investment projects at the Aden Free Zone, Mr. Noman said adding that there was wide-scale demand from Arab and foreign investment companies. He also said that at present final arrangements were being made for signing fresh contracts with a number of companies operating in the Free Zone. These companies' activities have increased as the number of containers shipped through the port have increased during the first half of this year. The number reached 140,000 containers. Last week an agreement on the purchase of construction material for an elementary school in Al-Sherj/Maifa'a Hajjar, Hadhramaut area, was signed between the Chargé d' Affaires of the German Embassy, the local committee of Al-Sherj, represented by Ommar Salim Al-Hanash Badas, and a representative of German NGO, Partners Aid International. The project aims at creating elementary education facilities for girls and boys in this rural area. The Project which was funded under the small scale projects' scheme of the German Embassy is strongly and on a purely voluntary basis supported by the local population. At 19:30 hours last Wednesday four armed men boarding a Toyota pick-up bearing Customs number plate 2710, were able to capture a Hilux 96 model belonging to Al-Rodami Corporation for Drugs. The incident took place at Sana'a city center near the 6th Division police station. The armed men, at gun point, forced the Hilux driver and the female pharmacist out of the vehicle which was loaded with YR.one million worth goods. Leaderships at the Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation committed a number of power abuses during the years 1995-98, a report issued by the Central Organization of Control & Audit (COCA) said. The report, submitted to the Premier, revealed results of the field inspection visit made by the Organization to the Central Heights Project of the Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation. The report pointed out that the Ministry, being the supervisory authority on the project, had dispensed a number of vehicles to a number of Ministry's senior officials and others outside the Ministry. The vehicles have been bought for the project purposes and that act had nothing to do with it. The vehicles were bought from the Arab Fund loan. The loan was actually meant for building residential units in Abyan Province and also a site for the project itself. The distribution list of the vehicles in question included the Minister, his Deputy, the Ministry Security Officer and the Assistant Deputy for irrigation affairs at the ministry of agriculture. Another vehicle was given to Hajja Province's Deputy Governor. After ten years of stoppage, the rehabilitation of Aden Textile Factory is under way to begin production. Government of China has granted a loan of USD 70 million for the rehabilitation and re-operation of the Aden and Sana'a Textile factories. The Aden factory is expected to embrace more than 700 employees after rehabilitation. On the other hand, farmers will be encouraged to grow cotton to provide the two factories with raw material. The Government of Japan extends to the Government of the Republic of Yemen the Debt Relief Grant Aid amounting one hundred forty eight million nine hundred ninety three thousand Yen (¥148,993,000,) based on the resolution made by the Trade & Development Board (TDB) of the United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) to adopt debt relief measures for countries which have been facing serious difficulties in servicing their debts. Notes to this effect were signed and exchanged Last Monday between Mr. Ahmad Mohammed Sofan, Minister of Planning & Development of the Republic of Yemen and Mr. Akira Hoshi, Ambassador of Japan to Sana'a. The Yemeni government will use this grant exclusively for the purchase of products that contribute to the development of Yemen's economy and the enhancement of the welfare of its people. Since 1979 when Yemen started to repay its Yen loans which had financed the rural water supply projects, the project for the construction of Ras Katneeb power station and the project for the construction of the berth of Hodeidah Port, Japan has been providing the Republic of Yemen with grants in amounts equal to the total interest and principal repaid. Mr. Yehya Al-Sadmi, a journalist working for the "26th September" Armed Forces weekly , was exposed to an attempted assassination by a group of six persons in a Sana'a street last week. The armed men who were in a car tried to fire at him after fatally assaulting him. Had it not been for the bypassers, he would have been dead. The Defense weekly denounced the assault and described it as a criminal act. It called upon the security apparatus to track down the assailants and bring them to trial. Meanwhile the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) expressed its resentment at the denial issued by the Security Director of Ibb Province as he refuted security forces' connection with the last week assault at journalist Mohammed Sadeq Al-Udaini's residence and his family members. Syndicate sources reiterated that the Director, in a telephone call with the Dean of Journalists had admitted the assault saying it was a mistake and that he would personally look into the matter as the action was not premeditated. The sources added that Udain District Director and the Director of Political Security did offer their apology and slaughtered an animal according to the tribal norms. Security forces used machine guns and other weapons while attacking Mr. Udaini's residence inflicting heavy damages and injuring some members of his family. In the past Udaini himself was imprisoned at the Ibb Central Prison for two years. Although released, he was assaulted on several occasion for his opinions which appear in local press columns. A popular committee has now been formed in Taiz Province under the chairmanship of Dr. Abdullah Al-Dhaifani, a Taiz University professor. The committee includes in its membership a number of politicians and senior opposition party officials in Taiz. Dr. Dhaifani said that the objectives of the committee was to curb corruption and adopting citizens' complaints. A similar committee was formed in Aden Province last April. It included in its membership Aden University teachers and leaders of opposition parties. A committee statement then said that the objectives of the committee was to protect the rights of sons of Aden which the statement claimed to have been lost particularly in the fields of general and personal security . The statement added that among the objectives was curbing financial and administrative negligence and corruption. The committee pledged to keep the citizens aware of their rights and duties as stipulated in the Constitution and laws. It is understood that the committee faced strong opposition from the Government; as a result most of its members were detained under the pretext that the committee's formation was illegal and that most of its members came from opposition parties and should have practiced their activities within their own parties. |
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