About the Union

Twenty-three years of systematic instruction of hollow slogans about the Unified Democratic Yemen. We kept promising on its existence in our schools in the south every single morning. We even replaced the name of God on the headline of our official papers by slogans of the so-called Yemeni Union.
Everything was dedicated to actualizing the dream of unity. School curricula taught literature and history of the north!! All literature and revolutionary figures, including the Martyr Mohamed Al-Zubairy, Abdullah Al-Bardouny, Abd El-Aziz Al-Mukaleh, Zaid Al-Musky and many others were northern figures. But nothing was said about literature, history and heroes of the south!!!
On the other hand, the south never knew anything about the north due to media blackout and scares information resources. Only the news of the national front appeared on front pages of limited media tools of the south. Even these limited tools were headed by northern persons who ran away from tribal prosecution. They were dreaming about restoring their northern glory. But no one talked about the south.
Due to their urgent need for economic opportunities for development, the southern people rushed faster than the northern. No one could expect that the union declaration could be signed that fast as if it was inspired by dark forces to those who signed on a convention of one and a half sheets of paper, even shorter than a rental contract of lemon juice store, on May 22nd 1990.
Even radio broadcast was calling for the union through light programs like “Your Favorite Song” and alike. Northern persons dedicate songs to southern ones from all over Yemen and all over the world and vice versa. Just to establish a hollow union.
This is how the union was born between past enemies who suddenly, and emotionally, became today’s brothers. But immediately after the union, most leaders of the south realized that the trade-off was rather poor. They realized that the south is walking into the unknown.
On following parts of this article, I’ll try to provide you with full vision of how our parents saw the union at that time and how they realized the northern greed and pursuit only for the riches of the south.