The (YAR), (in to
1990 in the northern part of what is now
Yemen . Its capital was at
Sanaa .
Following the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire , northern Yemen became an independent
State as the
Mutawakkilite Kingdom Of Yemen . On
27 September 1962 , revolutionaries inspired by the
Arab Nationalist Ideology of
United Arab Republic (
Egypt ian) President
Gamal Abdul Nasser deposed the newly-crowned King
Muhammad Al-Badr , took control of Sanaa, and established the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR). This
Coup D'état marked the beginning of the
North Yemen Civil War that pitted YAR troops assisted by the United Arab Republic (Egypt) while
Saudi Arabia and
Jordan supported Badr's royalist forces opposing the newly formed republic. Conflict continued periodically until
1967 when Egyptian troops were withdrawn. By
1968 , following a final royalist siege of Sanaa, most of the opposing leaders reached a reconciliation; Saudi Arabia recognized the Republic in
1970 .
Unlike
East and
West Germany or
North and
South Korea , the YAR and its southern neighbour, the
People's Democratic Republic Of Yemen (PDRY), also known as South Yemen, remained relatively friendly, though relations were often strained. In
1972 it was declared unification would eventually occur. However, these plans were put on hold in
1979 , and
War was only prevented by an
Arab League intervention. The goal of unity was reaffirmed by the northern and southern heads of state during a summit meeting in
Kuwait in March 1979. What the PDRY government failed to tell the YAR government was that it wished to be the dominant power in any unification, and left wing
Rebel s in North Yemen began to receive extensive
Funding and
Arms from South Yemen.
In May
1988 , the YAR and PDRY governments came to an understanding that considerably reduced tensions including agreement to renew discussions concerning unification, to establish a joint oil exploration area along their undefined border, to demilitarize the border, and to allow Yemenis unrestricted border passage on the basis of only a national identification card. In November
1989 , the leaders of the YAR (
Ali Abdullah Saleh ) and the PDRY (
Ali Salim Al-Baidh ) agreed on a draft unity constitution originally drawn up in
1981 . The
Republic Of Yemen was declared on
22 May 1990 . Saleh became President, and al-Baidh became Vice President.
