Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Press Release
The Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue on Wednesday (February 26th) issued a report titled “Sinai 2020 from the rugged terrain of terrorism to sustainable development”, reviewing the successes achieved by military operations in ending the threat of terrorist organizations in Sinai and making that success as the basis for a sustainable development process launched throughout the land of turquoise. The report pointed to the involvement of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist organization in supporting terrorist elements and exploiting the situation of marginalization
experienced by Sinai following the signing of the
Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement, the terrorists took to the mountains and caves hide, thanks to the presence of tunnels with the Gaza Strip, which facilitated the smuggling of weapons and fighters to terrorist elements located in Sinai, which carried out their operations on behalf of the Brotherhood, and on the account of foreign entities on the other hand in accordance with the pattern that emerged after the revolution of 25 January and the movement of fighters, weapons and money from Libya to Sinai and from Sinai to Syria and vice versa. Security in resolution 2178 (2014) violent extremism and determined that Member States, in accordance with international law, should prevent the recruitment, organization, transfer or processing of individuals travelling to a state other than where they reside or hold nationality for the purpose of committing, masterminding or participating in terrorist acts. The Board expressed concern about the establishment of international terrorist networks, stressing the urgent need to implement this resolution with regard to foreign terrorist fighters associated with ISIL, Jabhat al-Nusra and other al-Qaida cells, associated, dissident or affiliate groups, identified by the Commission in accordance with resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989. According to Resolution 107 of 2018, issued by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to form a committee chaired by the Assistant President for National and Strategic Projects,
an unprecedented reconstruction and development process in Sinai based on two axis, infrastructure and water resources, has begun with the establishment of settlements and villages to settle the population, the report said. As well as, take the necessary measures to ensure the preservation of this infrastructure after its implementation and ensure the provision of water for land, with the creation of 2 million jobs, investments of about $20 billion, in addition to raising Sinai’s share of national income to 4.5%. The Sinai Development Strategy based its preparation on the Strategic Plan for Urban Development 2052, and the political leadership, in accordance with Egypt’s vision 2030, is based on the establishment of large, medium and small projects, and the creation of jobs for all resources and possibilities available, with
the aim of raising the standard of living and improving the social and cultural level of the people of Sinai . The comprehensive Sinai Development Strategy seeks to strengthen its integration into the Egyptian national fabric, so a network of major roads and tunnels has been implemented to link the Sinai Peninsula with the rest of the
governorates, and these projects are part of the international competition, due to its large scale, volume of work, and the standard time plan during of which it was implemented, all due to supporting the security and political dimension of the eastern borders of the state.
The report concluded with a number of recommendations:
1- The Egyptian state should complete the ongoing control measures against terrorist elements while adhering to the UN resolutions on combating violent extremism without compromising basic human rights.
2- Work to restore the form of normal life in Al-Arish, Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah and end the state of emergency imposed on them as soon as possible.
3- Work to expand the ongoing development processes in Sinai and create jobs for young people to protect them from engaging in terrorist organizations.
4- To adhere to the steps set by the United Nations in its counter-terrorism strategy, namely, the empowerment of young people, families, women and leaders in religious, cultural and educational circles, the involvement of all other concerned groups in civil society, in combating the embrace of this violent extremism, promoting social inclusion and cohesion and developing a positive discourse against terrorist ideas.
5- Promoting dialogue between the State and actors in tribal communities in North Sinai, protecting human rights and promoting social cohesion, which is one of the most effective means of combating the call for extremism.
6- Attention to expanding the dissemination of sports, cultural, artistic and theatrical activities in The Sinai society, and working to increase the cultural movement to attract the energies and creativity of the Sinawi people within a broader framework to confront takfiri ideas by spreading wider culture and the arts.
