Small States, Big Fish : Comparing Kuwaiti, Omani, and Qatari Foreign Policy and Engagement with Proscribed Armed Groups During Mediation in Yemen

Sammanfattning: In recent years, more small states have entered the arena of international mediation. While research generally recognizes that small states can use international mediation to further their own foreign policy goals, the implications of that notion remain understudied. Specifically in relation to engagement with proscribed armed groups, current research is lacking. Furthermore, most research on small-state mediation views small states as a unitary group of actors, leaving out of consideration the differences between states. This study aims to address this research gap by investigating the influence of foreign policy independence on engagement with proscribed armed groups when relevant to the peace process. Through a Structured, Focused Comparison of the mediation efforts of Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar in Yemen in the post-Arab Spring era, this study found preliminary support for the stated hypothesis that the higher the level of independence in a small state’s foreign policy, the more likely it is to engage with proscribed actors. For Kuwait and Oman, their behavior in Yemen was fully in line with the hypothesis. While Qatar showed limited engagement in Yemen despite having an independent foreign policy, its choices were still influenced by a certain level of dependence on Saudi Arabia.