Anfragebeantwortung zum Jemen: (Zwangs-)Rekrutierungen durch Houthis (Ansar Allah) und andere bewaffnete Gruppierungen; Konsequenzen bei Entziehung einer Rekrutierung [a-10177]

17. Mai 2017

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Es konnten nur wenige Informationen zur Rekrutierung von Erwachsenen gefunden werden, die meisten der im Folgenden angeführten Quellen beziehen sich auf die Rekrutierung von Kindern:

 

Die Menschenrechtsorganisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) schreibt in ihrem Jahresbericht zu 2016 vom Jänner 2017, dass die Kräfte der Houthis, der Regierung und regierungsfreundliche Kräfte sowie andere bewaffnete Gruppen Kindersoldaten einsetzen würden. Diese würden ein Drittel aller Kämpfer im Jemen ausmachen. Die UNO habe 2015 festgestellt, dass 72 Prozent der 762 verifizierten Fälle von Rekrutierung von Kindern den Houthis zugeschrieben würde. Insgesamt habe sich die Rekrutierung von Kindern verfünffacht und es gebe eine Tendenz Richtung erzwungene oder unfreiwillige Rekrutierung:

„Houthi forces, government and pro-government forces, and other armed groups have used child soldiers, an estimated one-third of the fighters in Yemen. The UN found in 2015 that 72 percent of 762 verified cases of child recruitment were attributable to the Houthis, with an overall five-fold increase in recruitment of children and a shift towards forced or involuntary recruitment.” (HRW, 12. Jänner 2017)

Das UNO-Kinderhilfswerk UNICEF berichtet im März 2017, dass Familien im Jemen sich zunehmend nachteiligen Überlebensstrategien zuwenden würden. Mehr Kinder würden rekrutiert, um in immer jüngerem Alter zu kämpfen. In den letzten beiden Jahren hätten die Vereinten Nationen verifiziert, dass mindestens 1.572 Burschen rekrutiert und im Konflikt eingesetzt worden seien, ein Jahr davor habe es 850 Fälle gegeben:

„Across Yemen, families are increasingly resorting to negative methods to survive. More children are recruited to fight at an ever younger age. In the past two years, the United Nations verified that at least 1,572 boys were recruited and used in the conflict, up from 850 last year.” (UNICEF, März 2017, S. 2)

Das US-Außenministerium (US Department of State, USDOS) schreibt in seinem Menschenrechtsbericht vom März 2017 (Berichtszeitraum 2016), dass Kinder unter 18 Jahren direkt am bewaffneten Konflikt beteiligt seien, sowohl auf Seiten der Regierung als auch für Stammesmilizen und militante Kräfte. Hauptsächlich kämen sie als Wachen und Boten zum Einsatz. Fast ein Drittel der Kämpfer im Land seien laut einigen Schätzungen jünger als 18 Jahre. Während des Jahres 2016 hätten die Houthis und andere bewaffnete Gruppen, darunter Stammesmilizen, islamistische Milizen und Al-Qaida auf der arabischen Halbinsel (AQAP), die Rekrutierung, Ausbildung und den Einsatz von Kindern verstärkt. Im April 2016 habe die UNO 762 Fälle von männlichen Kindersoldaten bestätigt, 72 Prozent seien den mit dem vormaligen Präsidenten Saleh verbündeten Houthi-Rebellen zugeschrieben worden. Kämpfer hätten verheiratete Burschen zwischen zwölf und fünfzehn Jahren in den Konflikt in den nördlichen Stammesgebieten involviert. Stammesbräuche würden verheiratete Burschen als Erwachsene betrachten, die dem Stamm Gefolgschaft schulden. Infolgedessen seien die Hälfte der Stammeskämpfer Jugendliche unter 18 Jahre. Laut Angaben anderer Beobachter würden die Stämme die Burschen selten für gefährliche Aufgaben verwenden, sondern eher als Wachen statt als Kämpfer einsetzen. Das Expertenpanel des UNO-Sicherheitsrats habe im Jänner 2016 berichtet, dass junge Männer und minderjährige Kombattanten aller lokalen kämpfenden Gruppen in Aden Berichten zufolge bei einer Gefangennahme vergewaltigt würden:

„Child Soldiers: Although law and government policy expressly forbid the practice, children under the age of 18 directly participated in armed conflict for government, tribal, and militant forces, primarily as guards and couriers. Nearly one-third of the combatants in the country were younger than 18, by some estimates. The lack of a consistent system for birth registration compounded difficulties in proving age, which at times contributed to the recruitment of minors into the military. During the year the Houthis and other armed groups, including tribal and Islamist militias and AQAP, increased their recruitment, training, and deployment of children as participants in the conflict. In April the United Nations reported 762 verified cases of recruitment of boy soldiers, with 72 percent of incidents attributed to Houthi-Saleh rebel forces, 15 percent to the Popular Committees, and 9 percent to AQAP.

Tribes, including some armed and financed by the government to fight alongside the regular army, used underage recruits in combat zones, according to reports by international NGOs such as Save the Children. Houthi-Saleh rebels routinely used children to operate checkpoints and search vehicles. Combatants reportedly involved married boys between the ages 12 and 15 in armed conflicts in the northern tribal areas. Tribal custom considers married boys as adults who owe allegiance to the tribe. As a result, according to international and local human rights NGOs, half of tribal fighters were youths under 18. Other observers noted that tribes rarely placed boys in harm’s way but used them as guards rather than fighters.

The UN Security Council Panel of Experts on Yemen reported in January that young men and child combatants of all local fighting groups in Aden were reportedly subject to rape upon capture.” (USDOS, 3. März 2017, Section 1g)

Das US-Arbeitsministerium (US Department of Labor, USDOL) schreibt in seinem Bericht zu Kinderarbeit vom September 2016 (Berichtszeitraum 2015), dass laut UNO-Berichten die Rekrutierung manchmal infolge von Zwang oder Täuschung erfolge. Kindersoldaten könnten Geld, Nahrung oder das Rauschmittel Qat erhalten:

„Various armed groups recruited and used child soldiers, including the Houthis, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Popular Committees, tribal militias, and government forces. In 2015, the Houthis increased recruitment of child soldiers. Some children served as guards or fighters, carried food and ammunition to the front line, provided first aid, or helped retrieve killed or wounded fighters. The UN reported that sometimes recruitment was a result of coercion or deception. Some children are recruited as young as age 7. Child soldiers may receive payment, meals, and qat, a mild narcotic that is legal in Yemen. A UNICEF official estimated that a third of fighters engaged in the armed conflict are children. Limited evidence suggests that boys 12 to 15 who are married in northern tribal regions are considered adults, and therefore are obligated to show their allegiance to their tribes by participating in the internal conflict, including in fighting. Likewise, tribal communities may associate manhood with the ability to use weapons, which encourages children to become involved in fighting.” (USDOL, 30. September 2016)

In einem Bericht von Amnesty International (AI) vom Februar 2017 wird erwähnt, dass es neue Beweise zur Rekrutierung von Burschen durch die Houthis gebe und führt einen Fall von vier Burschen in Sana’a an:

„New evidence has emerged of how the Huthi armed group is actively recruiting boys as young as 15 to fight as child soldiers on the front lines of the conflict in Yemen, said Amnesty International today after speaking to the families of three boys targeted this month by the appalling practice which violates international law. The families also confirmed the recruitment of a fourth local boy.

Family members and an eyewitness told Amnesty International that the four boys, aged between 15 and 17, were recruited by fighters of the Huthi armed group, also known as Ansarullah locally, in the capital, Sana’a. They only found out that their children had been taken away after being alerted by local residents, who described seeing them and as many as six other children boarding a bus at a local Huthi centre in mid-February.” (AI, 28. Februar 2017)

Amnesty International (AI) beschreibt Rekrutierungsmethoden und Anreize, beispielsweise lokale Zentren, die Gebete, Predigten und Vorlesungen anbieten und Burschen und junge Männer dazu ermutigen würden, sich dem Kampf anzuschließen. Laut dem Bruder eines eingezogenen Burschen würden die Houthis umhergehen und einen Sohn jeder Familie rekrutieren. Viele Familien würden aus Angst vor Repressalien nicht wagen, über die Rekrutierung ihrer Kinder zu sprechen:

„Interviewees have described how Huthi representatives run local centres that hold activities such as prayers, sermons and lectures where young boys and men are encouraged to join front-line battles to defend Yemen against Saudi Arabia.

According to an eyewitness, two of the four boys were recruited by a local Huthi representative after they were sent to a Quranic school near Sana’a for an initial religious induction in January, before they were returned to their families, who had not been aware of their whereabouts. One father said that his son told him the curriculum included the history of world wars and what was described as the Saudi Arabia-led coalition’s war on the Yemeni people.

Some family members said that there had been an increase in child soldier recruitment in their neighbourhoods due to the fact that many children no longer attend regular schools. The war has taken its toll on the economy and many families can no longer afford the transportation costs needed for the children to get to classes. In many places, classes are no longer running. Some teachers are on strike because they no longer receive their salaries. According to one family member, the Huthis have imposed recruitment quotas on local representatives, which are sometimes accompanied by threats if results are not delivered.

One family member whose 16-year-old brother was taken said about the boys who are recruited: ‘They’re just excited to shoot Kalashnikovs and guns and wear military uniforms. They [the Huthis] have been saying that there are so few fighters [at the front line], they are going around taking one [recruit] from each family. If the son dies at the front line, a monthly salary and a gun are given to the father to keep them quiet.’ Many families fear reprisals against their children who have been taken by the Huthis or against other children or family members if they dare speak out about the recruitment. One father said, ‘Many children [are recruited] but people don’t dare to talk or follow up. They’re afraid of being detained.’

Two of the interviewees told Amnesty International that the Huthis promise monetary incentives to families to appease them, pledging 20,000 to 30,000 Yemeni riyals (approximately 80 to 120 US dollars) per child per month if he becomes a martyr at the front line. The Huthis also honour the families by printing out memorial posters for their boys to be put up locally as a tribute to their contributions to the war efforts. Two of the interviewees highlighted that children who are recruited are usually from poorer backgrounds.” (AI, 28. Februar 2017)

Das UN News Centre veröffentlicht im Februar 2017 eine Aussendung, derzufolge die UNO die Rekrutierung von 1.476 Burschen im Zeitraum 26. März 2015 bis 31. Jänner 2017 bestätigen könne. Die Zahlen seien wahrscheinlich viel höher, da die meisten Familien nicht über die Rekrutierung ihrer Kinder sprechen wollen würden:

„The United Nations human rights office today urged all warring parties in Yemen to immediately release child soldiers, noting that the UN has verified the recruitment of 1,476 children, all boys, between 26 March 2015 and 31 January 2017. ‘The numbers are likely to be much higher as most families are not willing to talk about the recruitment of their children, for fear of reprisals,’ Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters at the regular bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva. She said her Office received numerous reports of the recruitment of children in Yemen for use in the armed conflict, mostly by the Popular Committees affiliated with the Houthis. Since 2015, the southern Arabian nation has been in a conflict between forces loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and those allied to the Houthi rebel movement. Just last week, OHCHR received new reports of children who were recruited without the knowledge of their families. ‘Children under the age of 18 often join the fighting after either being misled or attracted by promises of financial rewards or social status. Many are then quickly sent to the front lines of the conflict or tasked with manning checkpoints,’ Ms. Shamdasani said.” (UN News Centre, 28. Februar 2017)

Das Counter Extremism Project (CEP), eine US-amerikanische Non-Profit-Organisation zur Bekämpfung extremistischer Ideologien führt auf ihrer zuletzt 2017 aktualisierten Website zur Rekrutierung durch die Houthis aus, dass diese vor allem in den nördlichen Provinzen des Jemen rekrutieren würden. Der Beitrag erwähnt unter anderem auch Online-Rekrutierung, einen Fernsehsender und soziale Medien:

„The Houthis’ primary area of recruitment is the northern provinces of Yemen, its heartland of ideological support. In February 2016, al-Arabiya reported that the group had expanded recruitment beyond its traditional political base by inducing ‘mercenaries’ from African countries. Houthi recruitment efforts inside Yemen has benefitted from the unpopularity of the Yemeni government. Since the 2011 uprising that removed President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power, the Houthis have increasingly attracted potential recruits to anti-government public protests in support of the movement. In the summer of 2014, the group gained noticeable traction when it protested the Yemeni government’s decision to cut popular fuel subsidies. Houthi-led protests attracted tens of thousands of supporters, including not only Zaidis but also Sunnis, to Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.

Since the 1990s, Houthi recruitment has reached out to its target Zaidi audience through social connections and networking, proselytizing through religious sermons, the dissemination of written materials, audio and videotapes, and online recruitment. The Houthis began paramilitary activities in 2004 and began distributing military training videos electronically and in person where possible.

The Houthis have also revived local Zaidi rituals, including events where potential recruits can socialize with pro-jihadi Houthi militia men, with the intention of encouraging new recruits to join the veterans. A pro-Houthi youth movement called Shabab al-Sumud (Steadfast Youth) has also provided support, including by managing a tent in Maydan Taghayr (Change Square) in 2012 where members of the public could enter and watch pro-Houthi videos.

The group is also active on the Internet, including on YouTube channels where it posts pro-Houthi videos, as well as web forums to promote the Houthi movement. The Houthis operate the TV channel Al Masirah, which publishes pro-Houthi videos, including poems and songs. In 2007, group leader Abdel Malik founded the Al Minbar website, which published press statements, editorials, speeches, videos, and images to promote its message. The group has also released statements through website Ansar Allah (Supporters of Allah). Houthi officials also maintain Twitter accounts disseminating pro-Houthi material. For example, in May 2016, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam posted comments accusing the Yemeni government of lying and time-wasting.” (CEP, zuletzt aktualisiert 2017)

 

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Quellen: (Zugriff auf alle Quellen am 17. Mai 2017)

·      AI – Amnesty International: Yemen: Huthi forces recruiting child soldiers for front-line combat, 28. Februar 2017
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/02/yemen-huthi-forces-recruiting-child-soldiers-for-front-line-combat/

·      CEP - Counter Extremism Project: Houthis, zuletzt aktualisiert 2017
https://www.counterextremism.com/threat/houthis

·      HRW - Human Rights Watch: World Report 2017 - Yemen, 12. Jänner 2017 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/334724/476564_de.html

·      UN News Centre: Yemen: UN verifies nearly 1,500 boys recruited for use in armed conflict, 28. Februar 2017
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56255#.WRwnvuvyiUk

·      UNICEF - UN Children's Fund: Falling through the Cracks; The Children of Yemen, März 2017 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1930_1490859972_families-turning-to-extreme-survival-measuresas-war-hits-two-year-mark.pdf

·      USDOL - US Department of Labor: 2015 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Yemen, 30. September 2016 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/5250_1480949697_yemen.pdf

·      USDOS - US Department of State: Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2016 - Yemen, 3. März 2017 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/337264/480030_de.html