HRW: Egypt army demolished 12,350 buildings in Sinai since 2013

The Egyptian army has demolished 12,350 buildings in Sinai since 2013, Human Rights Watch revealed yesterday, adding that these demolitions “are violations of international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, and likely amount to war crimes.”

In a report, the HRW said: “Between late 2013 and July 2020, the army destroyed at least 12,350 buildings, mostly homes, most recently in the al-Arish area. The army has also razed, ruined, and closed off approximately 6,000 hectares of farmland, mostly since mid-2016.”

The reported stated that “the government has provided little information beyond broad claims in the media that the evictions and demolitions were needed for security in the protracted fight with the armed group [ISIS].”

Thousands of these evictions and demolitions appear to violate the laws of war, which prohibit such actions except for absolute military necessity or to ensure the security of the civilians involved.

“War crimes are serious violations of international humanitarian law, committed with criminal intent.”

Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at HRW, said: “Over the past seven years in North Sinai, the Egyptian army has unlawfully evicted tens of thousands of residents, destroying their homes, farms, and livelihoods.”

The HRW official added: “The demolitions and evictions reflect an abusive official mentality that dismisses the well-being of Sinai residents, which is key to the region’s security and stability.”

According to the report, the rights group has documented “extensive home demolitions in North Sinai beginning in 2013.”

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“Until early 2018, the army mainly evicted people from residential areas in and around the city of Rafah, on the border with Gaza and Israel.”

Analysing commercial satellite images, the HRW “found that of the roughly 5,500 buildings demolished in al-Arish since 2014, over 2,000 were located outside the security perimeter.”

Human Rights Watch found no record since 2013 of official decrees that mandate or regulate the evictions in or around Al-Arish city or specify compensation.

“Analysis of other satellite imagery recorded between August 2013 and August 2020 found that almost all farmland within the airport buffer zone, about 1,800 hectares, had been likely razed, as well as 800 hectares of farmland in and around al-Arish city, mostly between August 2016 and August 2019,” the report said.

“Based on imagery analysis, the army also razed, ruined, and closed off 3,500 hectares of farmland in and around Rafah, particularly between August 2016 and August 2019. Residents on the ground corroborated this analysis.”The report stated that the Egyptian authorities “did not respond to questions Human Rights Watch sent on January 11 and 26, 2021 to the Cabinet office, the Defense Ministry, and the State Information Service.”

However, it added that “In 2014 and 2015, the government provided some information about the numbers of houses demolished and the compensation process, but as demolitions widened the government went largely silent.”

At the end of the report, the HRW said: “None of the al-Arish evictees and owners appear to have received compensation as of December 2020, when the al-Arish City Council said it had begun preparing lists of eligible people evicted from the airport zone.”

“In March 2019, President al-Sisi issued Decree 132 designating about 11 square kilometers to build ‘New Baer al-Abd’ city, west of al-Arish. Human Rights Watch found no sign of new construction there in satellite images recorded as of February 2021.”