Mr. David Mitchell, his wife and 14-year-old son were released yesterday,
Sunday May 3rd, as a result of intense negotiations by tribal elders, government
officials and other influential people. The family was kidnaped on Friday
April 17th by men from the Bani Dhabyan tribe at Maabar while they were
on their way from Aden to Sanaa.
The Mitchells, though traumatized, have not been harmed.
The 10th session of the Arab War Veterans Associations is being held during 2-6 May in Sanaa. The gutsy old fighters are discussing a number of issues relevant to their living conditions and pensions.
An inter-country meeting to attain Safe Motherhood Initiative in the Middle East Region was launched in Sanaa yesterday, May 3rd. A number of research papers are being presented by the participants in the 3-day gathering.
Somali teachers working in Yemen went on a strike last week in protest
over months-long delays in getting paid. There are about 100 Somalis teaching
English in Yemeni schools, whose contracts the Ministry of Education has
refused to renew for the academic year 1997/98. It also refuses to pay
them.
The Ministry of Education promised earlier to renew these contracts
in line with other Arab teachers working in Yemen.
The Ministry of Petroleum and the British Polaris Company for Oil Explorations signed on April 30th a memorandum of understanding in Sanaa. The new concession covers Block 6 in Shabwa and Block 35 in Hadhramaut for an exploration period of 6 years for each block.
An agreement between the German and Yemeni government was signed on
25 April. Germany will commit an additional amount of DM45 million as grants
to assist in Yemen's development process.
Out of this sum, DM30 million will be allocated for concluding the
highly successful water supply and sanitation projects. Another DM15 million
will be utilized for projects in technical cooperation in vocational training,
health and primary education.
Up to date, total German assistance to Yemen amounts to DM1254 million.
The 3rd training course in production statistics was held during 18-30
April in Hodeida. More than 21 participants working for the Central Statistics
Organization (CSO) in various governorates took part in the course, which
was organized by the CSO and the Dutch Economic Institute.
"This training course concentrated on productions statistics in
agriculture, fisheries, forestry and industries such as mining and manufacture,"
indicated Dr. Shakir Mousa Esa, the statistics expert at the Dutch institute.
Yemen Times, Abdullah Sallam, Hodeidah
