Let's start with the tribe called "Nehm" which is located far from the asphalted road on the way from Sanaa to Mareb. The central government must deal very cautiously with this tribe because one of the biggest mines in the country is located on its territory. The tribe is heavily armed and houses are highly secured. When I was there, the man from the left was just coming out of a government jail because of a tribal dispute. He had been emprisonned a few years for murder. It was night time, during the Ramadan, all the men from the village had gathered around the Sheikh and the visitors. The iman and the school teacher were there. The atmosphere was friendly. We talked about religion and politics. The presidential election was to come soon. We left around midnight with new friends in the area. An escort took us to the road.

The tribe remains the basic political organisation of the country.