CAIRO: Heightened security in North Sinai led to the delay of a proposed conference of Bedouin tribes in which they planned to make demands from the Egyptian government.
Earlier on Friday, hundreds of Bedouins had driven through towns between Rafah and Sheikh Zowayed to announce the conference, which was scheduled to take place on Saturday.
Although it did take place, many of the representatives were unable to attend due to the closure of all the roads leading to Irsal, Shabana south of Rafah where the meeting was held.
Those who managed to attend released a statement declaring that another conference will be held on Aug. 25 where the Bedouins will make a list of demands.
Among these demands is the release of Bedouins incarcerated since a spate of terror attacks in tourist resorts across Southern Sinai in 2006.
Demands also include reaching an agreement for land ownership with the government and benefits from increased investment in Sinai.
The attendees also called for being given employment priority in projects in the area and that companies investing in Sinai offer services to the people in the vicinity.
“The government is not concerned with the simple people of Sinai and is more interested in the businessmen, journalist and activist Mustapha Singer told Daily News Egypt.
Singer attended the conference but arrived late in the day due to the closure of all the roads leading to it. He had spent the night with others in a nearby valley and moved locations at regular intervals so as not to be caught by Egyptian security.
Traveling with Singer was one of the coordinators of the conference and member of the Tarabeen tribe Moussa El-Dilh, whose house was raided by security officers the night before the conference.
El-Dilh had recently told Daily News Egypt that he was being targeted by security forces due to this conference and also because he had resigned from an officially appointed post to coordinate between Bedouins and the employees of the Sinai Cement Company.
Feeling that the post was symbolic and carried no real authority, El-Dilh resigned, which, according to him, raised the ire of local state and security officials.”I cannot leave my house, he told Daily News Egypt at the time, “they are threatening to arrest me for resigning. I was unable to do anything to help solve Bedouin problems in this post and that’s why I left.
El-Dilh could not be reached for this article.
