Tribal sheikhs continue mediation with kidnappers of Japanese architect

YEMEN - An agreement was made Thursday by a mediation committee, consisting of the Sheikh of Arhab and sheikhs of the surrounding areas, and the kidnappers tribe, for the release of the Japanese hostage, Takeo Mashimo, who was kidnapped last Sunday by a tribe in Arhab. Until the time of writing this article, the Japanese hostage was still in the hands of the kidnappers in Bait Joab, and was expected to be released on Friday at noon.

The agreement’s conditions were that with the release of the Japanese hostage, the sheikhs will pressure the government to release the tribe’s member who is currently in prison. If they were not able to release him in one month’s time, the sheikhs would gather against the government until the release.

When the release of the hostage was supposed to take place, the prisoner’s brother, Abdul Aziz Joab, still positioned in the mountains, refused to follow through on the agreement. Abdul Aziz said that he wanted his brother’s release before letting go of the hostage.

The sheikh committee tried to contact the brother, but was told he was not available. The family members of Abdul Aziz said to the sheikh committee that the hostage would be released Friday, although the sheikh committee refused that option, saying that they would retract their agreement if the hostage was not released on Thursday.

“We have tried everything to release our relative, but all our efforts have been in vain. The last option left was to kidnap someone for the national community to respond,” said Nazih al-Henq one of the kidnappers relatives in Arhab.
A mediation committee agreed with the kidnappers that the Japanese hostage would be released Thursday afternoon, with the attendance of sheikhs and social leaders, said Sheikh Abdul-Jalil Sinan, head of mediation committee on Thursday morning.

Sheikhs promised that they will follow-up with the state authority until the release of Hussein Abdullah Hussein Joab who has been detained in jail for four years and is accused of being affiliated with al-Qaeda. Sheikh Sinan said that the reason behind the delay of the release of the Japanese hostage is the absence of a few sheikhs from al-Hyma and Murad, who were among the mediation committee.

Arhab kidnappers suspended their Japanese hostage’s release on Wednesday, over skepticism of the guarantee signed by a mediation committee, local sources said.

The mediation committee’s member said that the kidnappers refused the committee's written guarantee, stipulating that a granter should be either a local council member or a tribal sheikh who guarantees carrying out their demand for releasing their prisoner held by political security.

In a related issue, Sana'a governor, Noman Doaid, reiterated in his meeting with Yemeni and Japanese journalists that the Japanese hostage Takeo Mashimo held by a tribal group, would be handed over last Wednesday, adding that the mediators are trying to agree with the kidnappers over the guarantees for releasing the tribal prisoner.

The state is facing tribal pressures to release the most dangerous prisoners, ensuring that they will not respond to extortion, Doaid said, not mentioning the measures that are to be taken.

Interior Ministry sources said that the Arhab tribal prisoner for whom the hostage was kidnapped for exchange is accused of affiliation with al-Qaeda.
Hussein Abdullah Hussein Joab, the prisoner, fought in Iraq for two years for a religious group’s army. He stayed in Syria for a year and for another year in Lebanon. Joab was arrested when he returned from Iraq four years ago, said a source at the interior ministry. Joab belongs to an Arhab tribe in Zandan area.

The hostage, Takeo Mashimo, 63, was supervising a project for building a school in one of Arhab villages, when he was kidnapped Monday. Mashmio was going to work on his project, which is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA).

 

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