New laws have been issued banning the carrying of firearms in major cities and restricting arms sales and distribution. All candidates in last September's presidential elections endorsed a policy platform committed to securing civic life, the upholding of the rule of law, and efforts to attract foreign investment and tourism by creating an environment less hostile to these goals. The candidates said that they agreed on the need to deal with the poor security conditions and the daily warfare that takes place in the country's different governorates. All sides sought to end the tradition of vendettas in Yemen and to combat the cultural and social traditions that arguably glorify the possession of weapons and many forms of extremism. In Yemen, particularly in the northern governorates, a tribal system still prevails.
Many tribes remain powerful, and members commonly arm themselves.
The sheikhs of such tribes remain influential in local societies. The challenge of the future is how to secure the country's economic prospects while at the same time acting to improve the security situation. Conditions are gradually improving, but for how long remains unclear. Experts on Yemeni affairs agree that a permanent improvement in security will take a long time in a society where tribal rules and customs take priority over written laws.