No peace without more development and end impunity

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) calls on Egypt to show more commitment concerning the economic development of North Sinai in order to curb the escalating violence in the north of the peninsula. Also, if Egypt wants to keep the Bedouins from joining the extremist Islamist militias, there must finally be credible measures to end impunity. "In the north of the Sinai peninsula, Egypt's soldiers are still torturing and killing at will," said Ulrich Delius, the STP's Africa-consultant, in Göttingen on Monday. "The Egyptian security forces are bringing up the Bedouins against them with their ever new repressive measures. The indigenous inhabitants of the Sinai feel like being taken back to the worst times of persecution under dictator Hosni Mubarak."

Following the bloody attacks of the Islamists, who killed 31 people in North Sinai last Thursday, the Egyptian army had announced to step up their measures against the extremists significantly. On Sunday, the government also announced to want to further the economic and social development of the long-neglected north of the peninsula with 1.14 billion Euros. "This is a step in the right direction – but the government has made too many similar promises since the fall of Mubarak in 2011, and none of them were met," said Delius. "The Bedouins finally want see real actions, no only hear implausible promises."

In North Sinai, Egypt's army seems to be relying on repression and retribution. Although the measures are directed primarily against the Islamist extremists, it is also often members of the 600,000 Bedouins living on the peninsula who get killed. Thus, about 300 Bedouins got killed in combat missions between August 2013 and April 2014. Many of the victims were civilians, including 12 children and eight women. Due to arbitrary searches, arrests, torture, and the destruction of houses, the Bedouins feel like second-class citizens. Attacks on civilians are regularly not thoroughly investigated or not prosecuted. Even a video that became public in October 2014, showing two Bedouins allegedly being tortured by Egyptian security forces, remained without consequences.

At the end of October 2014, the Egyptian army established a buffer zone (1.5 to 3 km wide) to the Gaza Strip, in which all Bedouin houses are to be torn down. At least 1,000 families are affected. There are financial compensations, but the measure has still led to an increase of distrust on the part of the Bedouins.

"If Egypt sees the Bedouins as allies in the struggle against the extremists, then the natives have to be treated with more respect – and there must be job opportunities for the young people to keep them from working as well-paid henchmen for the Islamists or as traffickers," said Delius. "As long as poverty is spreading throughout North Sinai, the Bedouins will hardly have any legal employment alternatives."

Ulrich Delius, head of STP's Africa department, is available for further questions: +49 551 49906 27 or afrika@gfbv.de.

Header Foto: Michael Clesle/Flickr