Abstract
Modern Yemen is one of the key states in all the geopolitical games in the Middle East. Yet in the comprehensive outlook on the Arab Spring revolutions which spread over the MENA region in 2011, Yemen has been a kind of forgotten actor. The radically increased activity of the AQAP terrorist group, however, coupled with the potential danger of being divided into two or even more independent states, has been a clear impulse for taking a new look at the Yemeni situation following president A. A. Saleh’s resignation. First of all, the author of this paper briefly describes the background of the most important historical issues of Yemen and their implications for current political dialogue. Next, how the Arab Spring developed in this poorest Arabic state is shown. Finally, the paper concentrates on the chances and main obstacles in the peaceful transition between the old regime and the new government in 2012 and 2013. It has to be underlined that foreigners especially need to realize the specific nature of the Yemen National Dialogue, because such a path to normalization might be a great solution for all the crises in this permanently unstable region. The potential failure of political agreements will be the first sign of a new, dangerous wave of chaos and the creation of new, large safe havens for terrorists or pirates, as in nearby Somalia.References
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