RAFAH, Egypt — The death sentences issued June 16 against former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and 90 Muslim Brotherhood members raised the concerns of political parties on the continued violence in the Sinai Peninsula, with the possibility of this violence expanding across Egypt.
A sheikh from the Sawarka tribe, one of the largest tribes in Sinai, told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Morsi’s death sentence will adversely affect Sinai. He said that the innocent people of Sinai will pay the price of the continued power struggle between the Egyptian army and the Brotherhood. According to the sheikh, the death sentences will translate into armed violence in Sinai.