CAIRO — In recent weeks there have been disputes among members of Egypt’s parliament over calls to relocate residents of the North Sinai governorate amid an escalation in the war between the country’s armed forces and extremist groups. Parliamentarians representing Sinai, headed by Salama Al-Roqie, have expressed their opposition to any effort to displace residents of this region.
In an interview with Al-Monitor, Roqie stated that the displacement of Sinai citizens will increase the spread of terrorism, arguing that the presence of citizens in the area prevents unknown people from infiltrating it and carrying out attacks. The lawmaker also highlighted the role of tribes in supporting the armed forces in the war against extremists, saying that the tribes have always been “very cooperative with the Egyptian state in all its wars.”
