§ 67. Mr. W. Yatesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of frontier incidents between the Yemen and the Aden Protectorates and the intention of Her Majesty's Government to redefine the frontier, what steps he proposes to take with the Yemeni Government which Her Majesty's Government recognise, regarding such definition.
§ Mr. P. ThomasAs my right hon. Friend told the hon. Gentleman the Member for Leyton (Mr. Sorensen) on 28th November, the Government of the Yemen do not at present control any of the border in question. They are consequently not responsible for initiating frontier incidents in that area, and there are no steps which could usefully be taken with them.
§ Mr. W. Yatesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the fact that Her Majesty's Government cannot recognise the Republic of the Yemen, because the Royalist Government control large areas of the Yemen, if he will place in the Library of the House a map showing these areas; and if he will include in the Official Report the names of all towns of over 5,000 inhabitants in Royalist hands and a list of metal led roads, airfields and rail communications controlled by them.
§ Mr. P. ThomasThere is a map annexed to the report of 28th October by the Secretary General of the United Nations to the Security Council, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
24WThe map and the report, taken together, confirm that republican control in the north of the Yemen is asserted only in the few towns in the area and along some main roads. Even those roads are harassed by the Royalists to the point that Republican garrisons in the areas are largely supplied by air. The Republicans, with the aid of the United Arab Republic, monopolise air power. Royalist tenure of towns of over 5,000 inhabitants is thus impossible. For the same reason, the main airfields are in Republican hands. There are no rail communications.