There are few signs of a halt to the tensions between Bedouin and security forces in Sinai, reports Amirah Ibrahim After weeks of clashes between Bedouin tribes in Sinai and security forces a truce seemed to have been reached, with security bodies agreeing to release 16 Bedouin detainees, many of whom have been held for years without charge, and the ministry of justice decided to simplify the legal procedures related to the retrial of a number of Bedouins in Sinai. On the other hand, Bedouins agreed to halt the targeting of policemen at checkpoints along Sinai's roads. Each side, however, appears to be working to its own agenda. Security forces are being transferred into the peninsula, with dozens of armed vehicles crossing the Suez Canal through the Ahmed Hamdi tunnel, and more troops arriving on boats via Al-Qantara. Meanwhile, Bedouins have spoken to news reporters in remote hideouts, displaying small arms and demanding that responsibility for security in their tribal lands be handed to security bodies and personnel they can trust. "We have no faith in the security bodies that for decades have mistreated our families," said one leader of the Tarabin, the tribe that has been at the forefront of recent clashes with the police. Two weeks ago Bedouin tribesmen attacked a humanitarian convoy of seven trucks bound for Gaza, following a shootout with the police when, Bedouin say, security forces opened random fire on a village. Later the same day Bedouins tried to blow up a natural gas pipeline about six miles south of Arish in northern Sinai, close to the Gaza-Egypt border. The blast caused slight damage to the pipeline but not a leak. The Bedouin claim the acts were reprisals for a security policy that includes taking women and children hostage in an attempt to force their husbands and fathers to hand themselves in to the police. In an attempt to contain the tensions, Minister of Interior Habib El-Adli met with Bedouin elders for the first time ever. Official statements say El-Adli issued a stern warning, demanding that Bedouins comply with security measures or face tougher action. Tribal sheikhs, on the other hand, returned from the meeting saying El-Adli had promised to release Bedouin detainees held without charge. The latter has proved optimistic, with only 14 of the thousands of Bedouins held under the emergency laws released so far. Many of those imprisoned have been held for five years and more. Between 2004 and 2006, following bombings in Dahab, Taba and Sharm El-Sheikh, security forces made sweeping arrests across the peninsula. According to Egyptian and international human rights organisations large numbers of detainees have been tortured. "The private and public interests of the people of Sinai is a major focus of the political leadership of the state," El-Adli said in a statement after meeting the Bedouin delegates in Cairo. "The ambitious plan for the development of Sinai requires the element of safety to give investors the incentive to invest." He warned that the government would not compromise in dealing with "criminal elements" in Sinai. El-Adli's statements, and the meeting itself, have been criticised by younger Bedouin leaders. Hundreds of Bedouins were involved in demonstrations demanding improved treatment and the release of detainees. The elders that met El-Adli, they say, do not represent them. Last Thursday Bedouins in North Sinai invited the media to a press conference to publicise their complaints. The security forces reacted by banning journalists from attending. "We demand that the authorities cease the repression of our people," said Moussa Al-Dalh, a key Bedouin leader whom the police say is a fugitive. "We also want security officers accused of mistreating our people brought to justice." Tight security measures in Sinai, Al-Dalh continued, must be lifted, and an economic development programme targeting the poorest areas launched. The current round of clashes began three years ago, after police shot dead three Bedouins who they say had failed to stop at a check point, and then dumped their bodies on a rubbish tip. Clashes have become more frequent over the past few months as the authorities search for Bedouins sentenced in absentia for smuggling and other charges. Many of Sinai's impoverished Bedouin make their living smuggling weapons, drugs and people into Israel and Gaza, using dozens of tunnels dug under the nine-mile (15-kilometre)-long border between Gaza and Egypt. A pro-government press conference is scheduled next Sunday, and tribal sheikhs are being mobilised to boost conciliation efforts.
