On Tuesday, NDC representatives from the Justice and Development and Ansar Allah parties presented their understandings of what constituted the ‘roots’ of the Southern Issue.

Both parties’ understandings indicated that the roots of the Southern Issue dated back to 1990 and also that problems only worsened following the 1994 civil war.  The two parties focused on violations and illegal acts which had occurred since unity was achieved in 1990, while also pointing out that 1994 could very well represent the key point of reference for ensuing problems in the south.

From the perspective of the Ansar Allah Party, the north took advantage of southern goodwill, excluded the south from equal political involvement and encouraged northern religious groups’ negative views of the South’s socialist experience.