Egypt Seeks Dialogue
With Jihadists Over Sinai

Al-Masry Al-Youm has learned that Maj. Gen. Ahmad Hilmi, assistant minister of interior for the public security sector, is working through intermediaries on an initiative that aims to hold dialogue with the jihadists and fundamentalist groups in the cities of Sheikh Zuwaid and Rafah. The initiative aims to stop the violence in the Sinai region.

About This Article

Summary : Egypt’s interior ministry is proposing dialogue with jihadist militants in the Sinai to address deteriorating security there, and is sending intermediaries to Sheikh Zuwaid City and Rafah, Al-Masry Al-Youm reports. Publisher: Al-Masry Al-Youm (Egypt) Original Title: High Orders to Negotiate With the Jihadists in the Sinai First Published: November 13, 2012 Posted on: November 14 2012 Translated by: Naria Tanoukhi Categories : Security Egypt

Ahmad Samir, advisor for Dr. Imad Abdul Ghafour, the president’s assistant for social communication, said that Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi charged Abdul Ghafour with launching a broad campaign to negotiate and communicate with the tribes of the Sinai through visits to Al-Arish, Rafah and Bir al-Abed.

Security sources have revealed that security forces are currently stationed in and on the outskirts of the city of Al-Arish, but refuse to head to the Eastern area (Sheikh Zuwaid and Rafah) pending the results of the efforts to open a dialogue channel with the jihadist groups through intermediaries.

On the ground, security crackdowns carried out in northern Sinai yesterday [Nov. 12] led to the arrest of a fugitive called “Mohammed Abdullah Alyan Abu-Jurayr, who is sentenced to 25 years in prison in the case of the 2005 bombings in Taba and Sharm el-Sheikh.”

The sources confirmed that security forces are currently reviewing plans to tighten control over the region and hunt down the dangerous and outlawed elements.

For the second time in 24 hours, the Central Security camp in the area of Rafah was attacked yesterday [Nov. 12] by insurgents using heavy firearms. The perpetrators managed to escape.

A security source in the Ministry of Interior said: “Unknown persons heavily fired toward the camp. The security forces responded immediately by [shooting back at] the source of fire, thus forcing the attackers to flee. The incident did not lead to injuries or deaths among the security forces.”