CAIRO — The first deputy for the Nubians in Egypt’s parliament, Yassine Abdel Sabour, is well-aware of the weight on his shoulders to deliver and achieve the demands of his people, who claim that the state has neglected Nubians for 120 years. In an interview with Al-Monitor, he underscores many of the problems Nubians suffer from, mainly health and sanitation issues, and the desire of the Nubian people to achieve their historical demand to return to the banks of the Aswan High Dam. He also expressed his fears of the demise of the Nubian language and criticized the state for overlooking the history and achievements of Nubians in public education curricula.

The full text of the interview follows:

Al-Monitor:  As the first MP for the Nubians in parliament, what were the most noticeable obstacles you encountered during the elections?

Abdel Sabour:  I did not encounter any difficulties or obstacles during my candidacy in the elections as the competition was between candidates belonging to interrelated families. However, perhaps the low turnout of voters was an obstacle after all, and allocating one parliamentary seat for the Nubians is not enough to achieve their demands and historical rights.