First modification:
The Egyptian government’s plan to expand a former fishing port in the Al Arish neighborhood in the north of the Sinai Peninsula has sparked controversy and resistance from local residents. Despite the authorities’ decision to demolish the entire neighborhood, residents have refused to leave their homes, claiming a disregard for the well-being of citizens in favor of foreign investment.
“We will not leave our houses,” protest residents in the port district of Al Arish, the capital of Egypt’s North Sinai governorate. In the summer of 2019, a decree was issued granting its properties to the Defense Ministry, and later to the Egyptian Army, as part of the expansion project.
Local authorities began demolishing houses in the two square kilometers around the port in February, despite strong opposition from residents who blocked several demolition sites and openly confronted soldiers who arrived to make sure the demolitions were stopped. will carry out without problems.
Many residents feel their loyalty to the government and their commitment to protect their homes have been betrayed.
We speak to a resident who has been protesting the demolitions and who prefers to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. “Since 2012, the residents of this neighborhood have been fighting hand in hand with the Army against terrorism in Sinai. The Government had encouraged Egyptians to come to live on the peninsula to populate it and protect it from the spread of armed extremist groups. The neighbors were there, defending their houses. And this is how they thank us? Evict us by force?” he says.
The resident we spoke to said that some of his neighbors had handed over their property to the Defense Ministry, but were pressured to do so or lacked vital information. He said the authorities had also promised financial compensation to the residents, but no compensation had been disbursed to the affected families.
#Observers #Egypt #Sinai #residents #protest #demolition #neighborhood
Leave a Reply