Bedouins threaten violence over confiscated lands for nuclear plant

Bedouin tribes in Sinai and Matrouh have demanded the Egyptian government return confiscated lands and provide safer drinking water. Spokesman of the Revolutionary Forces Coalition in Matrouh Abdel Moneim warned of violent and angry reactions if the government proceed with the Dabaa nuclear project. He called for the return of land confiscated by the former regime of President Hosni Mubarak to build the nuclear power plant. He said: “People are in a location dedicated to preventing the building of the station, including sit-ins to prevent it. Egypt has many other alternatives, which can permit founding alternative power projects and making use of solar or wind power, away from the nuclear risks, which threaten 90 thousand residents in the area.” Abdel Moenim tackled the main problems facing Matrouh’s tribes and explained “the last visit of the President to the governorate put out some solutions to these issues, after he promised to resolve the land titling issue, which is the worst crisis of the Bedouins. He also promised to provide a water line from Alexandria, and build three water desalination stations as well as building a university. There are actual procedures to accomplish these promises, where the presidency contacted the person responsible for the university project to prepare the mechanisms of application of the project.” Abdel Moneim, also one of the dignitaries of al-Qanashi tribe, Abdullah, criticised the Muslim Brotherhood's methods of seeking the leading and administrative position in the country, stressing that “it shouldn’t happen that the political balance favours only one political group, and it shouldn’t be permitted that the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Brotherhood, take control and dominate.” During a press conference “Bedouin and Arish population problems” the Bedouins said that despite their love for Egyptian territory and their rough living conditions they cannot live without water in an extended desert. They will also not stand back and allow the authorities to take over their lands but fight any attempts at privatising the land for tourist resorts and chalets. Secretary General of al-Wasat Party and head of anti-corruption association in the Matrouh Governorate Ali Abdel Moneim said the “former Minister of Defence  Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi’s beach-side villa is directly, against the environmental law, which prevents building any chalet within 120 meters from the beach. Also, unemployment and illiteracy are widely spread, people live without schools or work. Only five per cent of the population work in the oil sector and even then only as drivers or guards.” On the sidelines of the conference, a dignitary of al-Qanashi tribe added that “Egypt is not an estate, and the Egyptian people will not allow anyone to steal the freedom we acquired by the January revolution. It is impossible that things will be as they were before the revolution.” Abdel Moenim also called for the cancellation of the decision made by the security director of Matrouh to provide weapon licenses to whoever delivers weapons, stressing that this decision “would lead to the spread of weapons, and people who are entitled to use weapons will have them. It will also cause the appearance of  black market of weapons in the governorate.”