Yemen's The Last Caravan: The 1980s Guns vs Qat Conflict

In the 1980s, a forgotten conflict unfolded in Yemen's highlands—not between armies, but between two of the country's most cherished traditions: the qat leaf and the firearm. Lucas and Luna explore how the government of Ali Abdullah Saleh tried to curb the rampant proliferation of automatic weapons by leveraging Yemen's ubiquitous chewing sessions. They delve into the paradox of a state that simultaneously fought a war with Marxist South Yemen while trying to disarm its own citizens, and how the rise of the Kalashnikov economy intersected with the ancient qat trade. Along the way, they discuss the role of the mafraj, the mysterious 'Friday shootings,' and the surprising figures who tried to broker peace—including the Hashid tribal leader Abdullah ibn Hussein al-Ahmar. This episode weaves together anthropology, economics, and a conflict that foreshadowed the chaos to come.

#Yemen #Qat #Kalashnikov #AliAbdullahSaleh #Hashid #Bakil #Mafraj #1980s #Disarmament #TribalCustoms #AK47 #FridayShootings #AbdullahIbnHusseinAlAhmar #YemenCivilWar #MiddleEastHistory #SmallArmsTrade #FexingoHistory #History

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