July 30, 2017 3 News & Analysis Egypt closes in on

Ibrahim Ouf Egypt’s history, including assassi- nations. In addition to killing a large number of police and security of- ficers, Hasm claimed responsibil- he death of eight mili- ity for the attempted assassination tants in late July in the of former Mufti in Au- central province of Fay- gust 2016 and Assistant Prosecu- oum was the latest in a tor-General Zakaria Abdel Aziz in series of military opera- September 2016. Ttions by Egyptian authorities to eradicate the outlawed Muslim Hasm militants have Brotherhood and affiliated mili- testified that they tant groups. received funding The militants were members of from Brotherhood the Hasm Movement, a mysteri- leaders in Turkey. ous militant group that appeared in January 2014, six months after the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood Unlike ISIS, Hasm’s claims of President Muhammad Morsi. responsibility for attacks are rare Egypt is fighting a branch of and it seems to prefer to operate in the Islamic State (ISIS) that estab- the shadows. Not much is known lished a stronghold in the Sinai about where the group gets its Peninsula but Hasm could be a arms or funding or how many ac- greater threat, given the Muslim tive members of Hasm are oper- Brotherhood’s historic popularity ating in Egypt but it is clear from in Egypt. the operations it has claimed, or “The other thing is that most of is believed by authorities to be re- these members do not have crimi- sponsible for, that Hasm fighters nal records,” said Fouad Allam, a are well-armed and trained. retired police general. “This is why Authorities obtained concrete tracking and arresting them, even information about the group in after they carry out operations, is September 2016 after arresting not an easy matter.” Hasm member Magdi Shalash. He reportedly gave valuable in- Dozens of Hasm formation about Hasm’s leaders, members, including including Mohamed Kamal, the At a crossroads. Police stand guard outside a building in Maadi, a southern suburb of Cairo. (AFP) key figures, were group’s main financier who was rounded up or killed killed in his flat in southern Cairo in shoot-outs with on October 1. Egyptian security lice solve the two-and-a-half-year amounts of money to finance ter- “The success of security agen- police. apparatus portrayed that event as puzzle represented by Hasm.” rorist operations inside the coun- cies cutting off the Brotherhood’s a major blow to Hasm. Dozens of Hasm members, in- t r y.” violent arms one after another Documents in Kamal’s flat pro- cluding key figures, were rounded Many Muslim Brotherhood lead- opens the door for the movement’s Many militant groups emerged vided significant intelligence up or killed in shoot-outs with po- ers fled to Qatar, Turkey and Sudan total abdication of violence,” said following Morsi’s ouster in July about Hasm’s planning, including lice. Hasm, Kidawni said, is capa- following Morsi’s ouster. Cairo has Ahmed Ban, a former member of 2013. Some were formed by dis- a list of names of those with ties to ble of carrying out attacks, even prosecuted several cases in absen- the Brotherhood. “By all means, gruntled Muslim Brotherhood the group. though it was significantly weak- tia but has generally been unsuc- this will open the door for more members and sympathisers who “The documents seized at Ka- ened. cessful in securing extraditions. stability but we also need to un- viewed the post-Morsi authorities mal’s flat decided the course of Hasm’s elimination would not Hasm militants have testified derstand that violence is fuelled as putschists. police action against Hasm in the signal an end to violent Muslim that they received funding from by ideas and ideas do not die eas- Hasm is believed to be the suc- following months,” said retired Brotherhood groups in Egypt, Al- Brotherhood leaders in Turkey. ily or quickly.” cessor to the Muslim Brother- police General Mamdouh al-Kid- lam said, adding: “Those planning Some of the eight members killed hood’s military wing, which wani. “These documents were a this violence live outside Egypt July 23 received training in Sudan, Ibrahim Ouf is an Egyptian carried out attacks throughout real treasure trove that helped po- and are capable of raising huge security officials said. journalist in Cairo. Egypt’s Nile island plan runs into disgruntled residents

Amr Emam tional projects to support the econ- cluding drawings showing villas omy, including expanding the Suez and high-rises depicting what War- Canal and significant gas and oil ex- raq island could look like in the fu- Cairo ploration, in addition to announc- ture. ing a new administrative capital. Although Egypt’s Ministry of t was 10am on July 15 and There are approximately 80 is- Housing denied the reports, many Youssri Fouad had just started lands in the Nile that support mea- Egyptians said it was only a mat- working his small farm. Sud- gre agricultural and fishing output. ter of time before Warraq and other denly, the 54-year-old Egyp- Increased illegal construction on Nile islands were developed. tian was confronted by hun- the islands in the past 30 years has “The government seems to have Idreds of policemen. They raided turned the islands into slums that already made deals with inves- several houses close to his farm add sewage to the Nile. tors on the island but it is failing and then brought in bulldozers and To Fouad and other residents, to convince the public,” said Salah other equipment to demolish them. however, Warraq is their home. al-Guindi, an economics professor Subsequent clashes put Fouad at He was born there, married and from Mansura University. “This is the centre of violence that left one supported a family, including two bad and will have negative conse- resident of Warraq island in the Nile daughters and a son, all of whom quences.” dead and dozens of others injured. live on the island. He can imagine Tensions between Warraq island no other life. The islands, residents and the police continued “This is my home,” he said point- considered prime and government officials met with ing to a two-storey building metres Cairo real estate, residents to resolve the crisis. from his farm. “I am ready to make could be transformed “The authorities think we will it my grave too if the government leave our island easily but they insists on taking it.” into business are mistaken,” Fouad said. “They Approximately 525 hectares and development should know that we have known close to downtown Cairo, Warraq projects and lavish no other home to go to.” could be prime real estate. Gezira apartments. Fouad and tens of thousands Island, which has the capital’s afflu- of other Warraq residents are de- A matter of time. Egyptians shout slogans against the government ent Zamalek district, is home to the termined to resist government at- as they stand near a police car in al-Warraq, on July 16. (Reuters) famous Cairo Tower as well as the Ahmed Youssef Abdel Dayem, tempts to forcibly remove them. Egyptian Opera House and Gezira who represents Warraq in parlia- Cairo said it was attempting to Sporting Club. ment, said many residents would demolish structures illegally built Egyptian President Abdel Fattah model island. Many look at Warraq and other support new development projects on state land. The island residents al-Sisi in early June alluded to a pro- “Some people say there is an in- Nile islands and see unfulfilled po- and that it is only those residents said authorities wanted to get rid of ject when he said that some islands vestment company,” he said. “We tential. Talk about turning the Nile with homes built illegally on gov- them to turn the island into a major in the Nile should not be inhabited. do not have a funding problem. islands into investment hubs start- ernment lands that oppose it. tourist and business centre. Three days later, a local newspa- Your rights [the residents of War- ed in 2007 under President Hosni “They know that they will lose The issue goes beyond Warraq. per quoted unnamed government raq] are reserved. Mubarak. In May 2007, Mubarak their homes and will not be com- The hundreds of thousands of officials as saying that the presiden- Economists confirmed that, if ex- asked Defence Minister Mohamed pensated,” Abdel Dayem said. people who live on dozens of oth- cy had asked the Housing Ministry ploited properly, the islands could Tantawi and Housing Minister Ibra- “These violators want things to re- er Nile islands are watching with to revive a 2010 plan to develop the be an economic lifeboat for Egypt, him Suleiman to prepare plans to main as is.” concerned interest. The islands, islands. potentially earning revenues equal develop the islands. However, clashes with police in- considered prime Cairo real estate, The officials added that the presi- to the Suez Canal. The plans were released in 2010 dicate that Warraq’s residents do could be transformed into business dency would have exclusive rights “The islands can turn into a huge but disappeared after the 2011 up- not intend to simply bow to the in- development projects and lavish to decide how the islands’ land source of national income if best rising. They have come to light evitability of progress. apartments. They are now over- should be used. exploited,” said Yumn al-Hamaqi, once more. “This is our island and we will not populated slum districts, some- Sisi, speaking July 24 at an Egyp- an economics professor at Cairo New development plans report- let anybody take it,” Fouad said. “If thing that will have to change if Nile tian Youth Conference, said the University. “They have what it edly prepared by an Egyptian and the government wants to demolish island development projects are to choice was for Warraq could remain takes to be business centres.” Emirati-Singaporean companies these homes, it can do this while go ahead. a slum or be transformed into a Cairo has sought to launch na- have appeared in local media, in- we are inside.”