Egypt: Intelligence, defence, interior ministries must agree on investments in Sinai

The Supreme Administrative Court in Egypt has ruled that the intelligence services, defence and interior ministries and the National Apparatus must agree on investments in Sinai, the New Khaleej reported yesterday.

This, the news site reported, was the government’s effort to “organise” ownership of the peninsula. It had already revoked the ownership of 40 acres from investors allegedly for the lack of licenses.

The court also stated that the agriculture minister does not have jurisdiction to approve or issue permissions for agricultural investments in Sinai.

Meanwhile, the court said that the new conditions aimed to maintain national security in the peninsula.

Speaker of Egyptian Parliament: ‘Human Rights Watch’s report on Sinai politicised’ 

Since February 2018, the Egyptian army has been carrying out a wide military campaign against Welayat Sinai members, a Daesh-affiliate.

In a report on the operation, Human Rights Watch said “Egyptian military and police have carried out systematic and widespread arbitrary arrests—including of children—enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings, collective punishment, and forced evictions,” during the operation.

It added that from January 2014 until June 2018, 3,076 alleged militants and 1,226 military and police personnel were killed in the fighting. No wrongdoing has been admitted by Egyptian authorities who the rights group said “frequently counted civilians among the alleged militants killed.” Hundreds of civilians are said to have been killed or injured by Egyptian forces.