By Tamim Elyan
Al-Arish: Two pickup trucks loaded with machine guns carrying armed Bedouins roam the streets of Al-Arish in demonstration of power, intimidating the residents of the otherwise tranquil Sinai city.
The over 150,000 residents of Al-Arish and neighboring cities of Sheikh Zowayed and Rafah are witnessing deteriorating economic and security conditions in the area near the borders following the security vacuum after the revolution and due to the flourishing tunnel business.
“Life here is dead, everyone owns a gun and is showing it in public, people are kidnapped by Bedouins and the prices are extremely high because of the tunnels,” said Amir Khattab, a clothes shopkeeper, originally from Sohag in Upper Egypt but moved to Al-Arish in 1986.
Earlier this month, hundreds from Al-Fawakhrya tribe, which comprises the majority of Al-Arish residents, blocked the international coastal road after nine members of the tribe were kidnapped.
They set tires on fire and fired live ammunition in the air in protest of the poor security in the city.
Residents say that women in Al-Arish walk in the streets armed with wooden truncheons and are careful taking taxis after incidents of women allegedly kidnapped by drivers were reported.
Police in the city, known among locals for their notorious record, are walking on eggshells. In Sinai police stations were attacked with machine guns and RPG weapons and their armories were looted.
When the traffic police returned they were attacked in the streets and it took time for police units to return.
Khattab said he carried injured children during attacks on police stations.
“Now, disputes between merchants are settled with armed attacks on their stores; it used to happen before but now it is more evident,” he said.
Central Security Forces trucks and police checkpoints were seen spread across the city and the police station is being renovated and is set to be inaugurated soon.
However, in Rafah and Sheikh Zowayed police couldn’t enter the city and were prevented by residents.
In both cities, police and State Security have a notorious reputation, said Gamal Amr, a Rafah resident and former MP for North Sinai, and “those who were tortured and humiliated refused their return.”
Amr alleged that after a member of an Islamist group was taken with his wife naked to State Security office where officers raped her, the group is preventing their entrance.
“The army only secures entrances but can’t go inside,” he said.
A flourishing tunnel business
The absence of security lead to the flourishing of the tunnels business smuggling goods and passengers from and into Gaza, according to Amr, despite Egypt’s decision to open the Rafah crossing.
Mohamed, a tunnel owner who refused to mention his last name, said that it’s business as usual.
“The crossing is for travelers only, not for goods,” he said. “Opening or closing it doesn’t affect the tunnels.”
According to Mohamed, the three most smuggled items are stolen cars, construction material and travelers, mainly Palestinians visiting their families in Gaza preferring not to go through official crossing procedures.
The Egyptian government opened the crossing on May 28 according to the rules of operation set in 2007 with more facilities; however, it was closed from June 4–8.
Hamas, which closed its side of the border, said that Egypt didn’t commit to its agreement to allow 550 Palestinians per day and prevented buses from entering. Egypt said that the crossing was undergoing unannounced maintenance.
But to Khattab, it doesn’t matter whether the crossing is opened or closed as long as the tunnels are operating.
“These tunnels are raising prices here enormously as the demand increases and they don’t pay customs which brings no revenues to the state thus only tunnel owners benefit from the business,” he said.
Across the 12.6 km Egyptian-Palestinian border there are about 1,000-1,500 tunnels operating. The cost of a tunnel ranges from $ 40,000 to $ 10,000 and earns its owner about $200 per transfer operation.
Recently, there has been a crackdown on tunnels after the reported death of two army officers by tunnel owners which caused changes in the intelligence unit staff operating at Rafah.
Palestinian authorities closed car-tunnels two weeks ago.
“Cars stolen from Egypt and Libya are transferred through the tunnels and are sold for very cheap prices,” said Amr.
The tunnels are also the favorite means for transportation for residents of both sides of the borders attending weddings and spending vacations on the other side.
The crackdown left many tunnel workers jobless and owners began to return to their old records for debts with other owners in search of cash which often lead to armed violence.
“Ninety-nine percent of reconciliation sessions in Rafah are now between tunnel owners, mostly Bedouins to solve disputes over tunnels,” Amr said.
Residents hope that the crossing remains open saying that it is in everyone’s benefit.
“If the crossing is opened, trade will flow normally and merchants will pay customs, illegal trade in drugs will stop, prices will return to their normal rates and business here will flourish,” Khattab said.
Amr said that the opening of the crossing will create jobs for Rafah’s youth and will bring the tunnel business to an end.
They also hoped for a strong return of police to restore much needed security.
