Monday is last chance for negotiations with kidnappers of Japanese architect

YEMEN - The Japanese hostage Takeo Mashimo that was kidnapped by Zindan tribesmen, sub tribe of Arhab is expected to be released on Monday, said Shiek Abdul-Man'am Abu Ghanem, spokesperson of the mediation committee.

A number of sheikhs of Arhab tribe following the Arhab sheikhs  met today with the governor of Sana’a province Noman Doaid in the old headquarters of Sana’a province in al-Rawdha asking for last chance for mediation. For his part in a short release the Governor of Sana’a affirmed that the Japanese hostage was still in the hands of the kidnappers in Arhab district. He added that the tribal mediations are still continuing, though there were no results yet.

The sheikhs during their meeting with the governor, asked for this day more as a chance to continue negotiations with the kidnappers to release the hostage otherwise all sheikhs of Arhab tribe will ignore the kidnappers and will unite with the government against the kidnappers. “It is our responsibility to release the hostage because it is shame on the tribe that a foreign national was kidnapped from the tribes territories,” said Sheikh al-Athmali.

Yemen Observer learnt that following the meeting all-Sheikhs of Arahab headed to Gawb village, home village of the kidnappers where they met with them and handed them over ten guns one from each sheikh guaranteeing the release of Hussien Gawb who is imprisoned at the political security prison in Sana’a and whom the kidnappers have been demanding his release in return of releasing the Japanese hostage.

The Gawb’s tribesmen accepted the guns which indicates their acceptance for the sheikh’s mediation. The Sheikhs insisted in releasing the hostage. However the Gawb tribesmen asked to give them a chance to meet with all Zindan tribesmen tomorrow morning so as to come out with a united attitude over the sheikhs’ request.

Meanwhile before the governor’s meeting with the Arhab sheikhs he met with the security committee of Sana’a province to study other options. During the meeting Armor vehicles were deployed and helicopters were seen hovering over parts of Arhab district.

Tribal mediators comprised of a number of sheikhs from Arhab, Khawlan, Hayma and Murad tribes had failed to release the hostage over the past few days after they had reached to a deal with the Gawb and Zindan tribesmen last Friday.

There was an agreement to release Mashmio on Friday, but it failed to follow through. The agreement’s conditions were that with the release of the Japanese hostage, the sheikhs would 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.

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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