Egypt to use brutal force against Sinai terrorists

CAIRO – 19 January 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi stated on Friday his intention to use brutal force in confronting terrorism in Sinai during the upcoming period, stressing that the country has spent LE 250 trillion ($14 trillion) for the development of Sinai.

During the last session of the "Tale of a Homeland" conference, Sisi stated that Arish International Airport has been closed for more than three and a half years, as Egypt’s is keen to save the lives of the people of Sinai.

However, Sisi affirmed that the country is implementing safety measures in the airport in Arish to be able to return to work without posing a threat to the state, saying, "We will not allow to say that Egypt cannot handle the airport.”

At the beginning of the session, Sisi stated that the revolutions Egypt has gone through impeded the performance of the state’s institutions and that the state needs 10 to 15 years to restore its stability after the two revolutions in 2011 and 2013. The revolutions broke a lot of boundaries in dealing with the governmental institutions, and these boundaries have to be rebuilt.

President Sisi also stated that when the state’s institutions cannot perform well, it is easy to bypass them, saying, “If anyone has the ability to smuggle weapons and explosives to countries such as Germany and the USA, of course none of their institutions are well developed. Preserving the Egyptian state’s security is one of the most important strategies.”

During his speech, Sisi revealed the terrific consequences of terrorism in Egypt since 2014, stating that between 12,000 and 13,000 Egyptian citizens were injured as a result of terrorist attacks.

He called on all Egyptians to help in building the country’s institutions and urged them to participate in the upcoming presidential elections.

Sisi is also set to answer citizens' questions about his four years in office during the second and last session, titled "Ask the President", as part of the online initiative launched earlier in January to enhance communication between the president and citizens.

During the first day of the conference, President Sisi said he deemed his period as president as a “rescue mission,” and he tackled energy-related discussions and Egypt’s current economic challenges.

President Sisi took office in 2014 after protesters toppled Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated ex-President Mohamed Morsy in 2013.

Sisi has not yet officially announced his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election in March.