SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH SINAI

S E C R E T CAIRO 001458

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2019
TAGS: PGOV EAID SOCI KWBG EG
SUBJECT: SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH SINAI
GOVERNORATE

REF: A. CAIRO 107

B. CAIRO 163

C. CAIRO 657

Classified By: Minister Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs
Donald A. Blome for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (S/NF) Key Points:

-- A National Democratic Party (NDP) Bedouin parliamentary
representative for northern and central Sinai and members of
the Fawakhriya Bedouin Council said that increased Egyptian
security and military measures will not resolve the smuggling
of goods, weapons, and people. Instead, peace between
Palestinians and Israelis and the development of Bedouin
livelihoods is the solution. Absent that, Bedouin resentment
and attempts to "embarrass" the Government of Egypt (GoE)
would increase.

-- The NDP parliamentarian stated that the extension of the
Ismailia canal would provide water to develop the agriculture
and animal husbandry industries in central Sinai. The
Fawakhriya Bedouin Council members said that current USAID
projects would not be enough to create livelihoods to support
large, extended Bedouin families.

-- Fawakhriya Bedouin council members said the pullback of
Egyptian security in Rafah and El Arish has created a
"permissive environment" for increased Bedouin criminal
activity.

-- Both the parliamentarian and Bedouin council members asked
the USG to provide additional development assistance and
encourage the GoE to change the way that it deals with Sinai
and the Bedouin population.


2. (S/NF) Comment: It was evident that the Egyptian security
presence in northern Sinai has been reduced over the past 3-4
months (reftels A-C). We were able to drive into the
Egyptian border city of Rafah with little scrutiny from state
security or the Egyptian military. However, military
security remains extremely tight in central Sinai. Troops at
checkpoints were dressed in bullet-proof gear and manned
rooftop gun turrets despite the 100-plus degree temperatures.
The Governor of North Sinai and the military security
apparatus did not allow us to continue on our central Sinai
route from Baghdad to Nakhl. We were forced to return to El
Arish and take the northern Sinai road on our return to
Cairo. According to our contacts in the Nakhl city council
and the Desert Bedouin Association, the Governor of North
Sinai forbade them to meet with us, and ordered the closure
of council and association offices to guarantee compliance.
We also noticed a substantial increase in the amount of
refuse in the streets of El Arish, Shaykh Zuwayd, and Rafah
as compared to past trips. End Comment

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Development and a Peace Treaty Needed to End Smuggling
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3. (S/NF) NDP parliamentary representative for northern and
central Sinai, Shaykh Eissa Kharafeen (protect),said on July
20 that there will be no security or stability in the Sinai
without peace between Palestinians and Israelis and
development of job opportunities in the North Sinai
Governorate. During our meeting with Kharafeen and other
tribal shaykhs in Kharafeen's diwan in Egyptian Rafah,
Kharafeen explained that the Government of Egypt (GoE) has
taken great effort to control the smuggling of goods,
weapons, and people from Sinai to Gaza and Israel. However,
he stated that GoE's "hand of steel" approach on the border
and in Bedouin areas will not stop smuggling because "poverty
leads people to take great risks." Kharafeen stated that
young men "risk their lives" to work in smuggling because
they have no other viable financial alternatives and they
find ways around increased security including paying off the
"right people." He told us that providing Bedouin men with a
"dignified" way to earn a living can put a natural end to
smuggling. Kharafeen's solution is to supply water into the
Bedouin areas of central Sinai to create opportunities for
the agricultural and animal husbandry industries to grow.


4. (S/NF) Gamal Selmy (protect),a member of the Fawakhriya
Bedouin Council and the El Arish local council said on July
19 that the GoE approach to Sinai was focused on "how to get
rid of the Bedouin problem," not how to create economic
opportunities to eliminate problems. Both Selmy and Sameh
Atta (protect),the chief advisor to the SYG of the
Fawakhriya Bedouin Council pointed out the North Sinai
Governor, city Merkaz chiefs, security officers, and judges

are all appointed by Cairo, and come from the Nile Valley.
Atta added that the Governor is a "military man" with a
"security orientation," and does not understand economic
development. According to Selmy, the GoE perceives all the
Bedouins as "spies" and the aim is to use a "heavy-handed"
approach to "control" them. He said that Bedouin resent this
approach and are looking for opportunities to "embarrass the
GoE" in the eyes of the world.

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Development in central Sinai
--------------


5. (C) Kharafeen stated that a water line was needed in
central Sinai as there is "no development or stability
without water." He asked for the U.S. to support the
extension of the Ismailia Canal to central Sinai. The land
slopes down so cost would be reduced and a one meter wide
pipeline could meet the demand needed to create the
agricultural and animal husbandry industries, according to
Kharafeen. He understood that the USG is prepared to spend
USD 50 million to stop illegitimate smuggling, and he stated
that the provision of a water line is the best way to
accomplish this. (Note: USAID believes that extending the
pipeline would actually cost a multiple of USD 50 million and
yield questionable economic value. End Note). Kharafeen
declared that wells are too costly and provide too little
water to solve the problem. He said that help with water
usage technology such as drip irrigation and plastic for
greenhouses would increase the effectiveness of a water
pipeline.


6. (C) Selmy and Atta support U.S. development efforts in
northern and central Sinai. (Note: The Fawakhriya Bedouin
council is working as a sub-grantee on its proposal to
educate Sinai women on the Egyptian political process. End
Note). However, Selmy expressed skepticism that "current"
USAID projects would change the mentality in central Sinai.
He said that current projects may lead to jobs that will
allow Bedouin to makes thousands of dollars, but smuggling
means millions of dollars. He encouraged the USG to think of
development projects that will create livelihoods to support
their large, extended Bedouin families. (Note: USAID's
current USD 10 million Life Sinai project has job creation as
one of its objectives. Drawing on the USD 50 million
allocated by the FY 09 supplemental, USAID plans to devote
much more substantial resources to job creation, particularly
for youths. End Note).

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Security Worsening in El Arish
--------------


7. (C) Selmy and Atta said that recent Egyptian efforts to
scale back the heavy security presence around Rafah and El
Arish had created a "permissive environment" that led to an
increase in Bedouin criminal activity. Selmy told us that
central Sinai Bedouin, in the pursuit of economic
livelihoods, were involved in daily carjackings that had the
inhabitants of El Arish "living scared." Atta said that the
Bedouin involved in smuggling are the best armed and
strongest group in the North Sinai. Selmy stated that central
Sinai Bedouin have an "informant network" in El Arish that
"tips them off" to security actions and potential carjack
victims. Both Selmy and Atta said that central Sinai is
increasingly being governed by traditional tribal law, which
is creating "a state within a state." Atta said that this was
leading people to rely on "tribal politics" and was creating
a "divided populace."

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Growing Apathy
--------------


8. (C) Selmy told us that the July 12-19 elections for local
NDP units were a failure. He said that many areas did not
even have enough candidates to fill all the open slots, let
alone conduct elections. Selmy sees this "political apathy"
as a dangerous sign because the young are not participating
in the political process, but are looking for other outlets
to express their "disgust." Atta said that another sign of
apathy was the increase in rubbish being thrown into the city
streets. He said that the Fawakhriya Bedouin Council had
purchased a trash compactor and was beginning to encourage
people to dispose of their rubbish in an "environmental
manner."

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U.S. Role
--------------




9. (S/NF) Kharafeen stated that there are big hopes that the
U.S. Administration will change the situation in Sinai. He
said that people in Sinai expect the U.S. to bring peace and
development to the region, establish a Palestinian state,
create an Egyptian democracy, and stand for justice. Selmy
and Atta believe that the USG has considerable influence on
the GoE. They praised the U.S. role in attempting to provide
development assistance and encouraged the USG to push for a
change in the way that the GoE deals with Sinai and the
Bedouin population. Both stated that the U.S. is "trusted"
to do the right thing and opined that development projects
with a "U.S. face" will encounter no opposition from the
local populace.
Tueller