The Egyptian Armed Forces returned many families to their homes in Sheikh Zuweid and its vicinity in North Sinai last week. They had been evacuated from those areas several months ago as part of the high security measures put into effect to combat terrorism. Security experts see the families' return as a sign that security conditions have improved in one of the hot spots of jihadist activity in those areas which have been under a state of emergency since 2011. Military spokesman Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said that returning citizens to their homes “crowned the successes achieved by the Armed Forces in carrying out the law in securing complete security control in the zones of the fight against terrorist activity in North Sinai”. Samir added that life has gradually begun to return to normal in Sheikh Zuweid and its environs which, until recently, had been the scene of fierce clashes as the Armed Forces worked to clear the area of takfiri militants and IEDs which threatened the lives of innocent citizens in Sinai. Samir explained that the purpose of the heavy security measures that the army applied in order to carry out the operation was to prevent takfiri elements from infiltrating into the city. The army also distributed thousands of food packages to residents and also provided medical assistance. A military source who took part in the operation in Sinai told Al-Ahram Weekly that securing the evacuated areas had taken longer than expected in some quarters of Sheikh Zuweid and villages to the south of the city because takfiri elements had planted explosives around many houses and in the streets. “For example, in the village of Al-Mahdiya, the home town of most of the rank and file of the organisation, and above all Shadi Al-Maniei, the commander of Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, they mined the areas around houses and threatened the people that anyone who allowed security forces to set up base in or around their homes would be putting their lives at risk. This is why the Armed Forces had to ask people to leave their homes and to warn them that if they stayed in such an unsafe environment they would be responsible for the consequences. The people were afraid that if they left their homes they would never be able to return. The evacuation warning was issued soon after the evacuation of the border strip in order to carry out work to destroy the [Sinai-Gaza] tunnels. Eventually, that village and others were evacuated and no civilians were allowed to remain in the danger zones.” As an indication of how painstaking the cleansing operation was, the source related, “It would take days to clear a single house of explosives some of which actually detonated.” He added, “But at the same time the Armed Forces succeeded in installing the required policing concentrations and returning people to their homes.” “The people celebrated the return to their homes. Cars paraded through the streets decked out with Egyptian flags, their passengers rejoicing at the return of their loved ones to the city after it was cleansed,” said Samir. But Mohamed Sabri, who is originally from Sheikh Zuweid, explained that not that many families had left. It depended on the nature of the area in Sheikh Zuweid. "Most of the returnees are from the neighbourhoods of Al-Tarabin and Abu Rafai while Al-Mahdiya is still totally empty in comparison.” Sabri added, “I can say that the security situation has relatively improved compared to what it was before.” In tandem with the return, the North Sinai governorate announced that the branches of the Consumer Cooperatives operated by the General Company for Wholesale Trade had reopened in Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah and were offering products at reduced prices. Describing this as another indication of the improved security situation in the area, an official statement released by the governorate said that the decision to ship in products from the company's warehouse in Al-Arish and provide them at reduced prices was taken in order to “ease the burdens on the people and their families… All products are available in all branches. Shipments of subsided goods are being brought in daily and committees have been formed to follow through on and monitor the distribution of these goods at low prices. All goods and necessities that the people require will be made available and sent to the branches where they will be put on sale to the public.” Brigadier General Khaled Okasha, an expert in security affairs, told Al-Ahram Weekly, “I contacted many individuals involved in the matter, including some people in Sinai with whom I spent years in the security service. Apparently, it was necessary to re-engineer the villages and other locations security-wise. In other words, it was impossible for security forces to move in them. There were no roads. Ring roads had to be built around the towns and other roads were constructed inside them. Then some security checkpoints were installed. Therefore, the return of the people to these neighbourhoods is a sign of success in the operation to cleanse the area of terrorist elements and, simultaneously, a sign of the ability to sustain security which, to me, is the most dangerous process in the area south of Sheikh Zuweid because of the difficulties involved in handling it.” Okasha said that the army was also distributing financial aid packages to the returnees to help them resume their normal lives. “So, several tasks have been accomplished. Security surveys were conducted to identify individuals who had not been known before. They are now in direct contact with security agencies. Also, now that the people are interacting with the government, they have come to realise that it is capable of providing them with protection. The army has not talked about such matters, but they are part of the security plan that has been put into operation.” Salah Salam of the National Human Rights Council, heads the council's Sinai committee. “We are seeing a good sign at more than one level,” Salam said in an interview with the Weekly. “Firstly, at the security level and secondly at the level of interaction with the people who have returned to their homes and who have, indeed, received material compensation, especially those whose homes were destroyed.” However, Salam, who is also a professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Sinai University, suggested that some of the families who had been temporarily evacuated were targeted by takfiri elements for various reasons. In addition, some families were vulnerable to recruitment by the terrorist organisation. Whether due to intimidation and coercion on the part of the takfiris or due to economic straits, many families lost their source of livelihood when the tunnels were destroyed. Ahmed Kamel, editor-in-chief of Muashir Al-Qahira Lil-Amn, shares the belief that the return of the families to their homes is a positive sign. “Previously, the strategy was to station policing concentrations, such as fixed or mobile checkpoints, externally on the fringes and outskirts of populated areas. Now, the strategy is to station such concentrations in the heart of residential quarters. The success of such security measures and the return of the people is indicative of a high level of control and, hence, security. Also the security surveys furnish valuable data. "However, the more remarkable indicator is that the rural areas are once again being cultivated. Most of the cultivation in those areas was in olive orchards, many of which had been razed during the combing operations. This is also a positive sign that the surrounding areas are also now safer up to considerable distances,” Kamel said. The Sheikh Zuweid area may seem relatively small compared to the large geographical swath of Sinai in which terrorists operate. However, when we take stock of their activities we note two more important indicators, according to Kamel. The first is the large decline in the number of operations and the second is the higher degree of professionalism among security agencies when it comes to pre-emptive action. In this regard, he noted that the army has eliminated quite a few members of the Daesh affiliate, the so-called IS Sinai Province. Eight members of this organisation were killed and another four were arrested. Among the latter was the brother of a member of the organisation who is an alleged collaborator. In addition, eight other suspects were brought in for questioning. A more sophisticated classification approach is being brought to bear in dealing with takfiri elements or suspects in the Sinai theatre, according to Kamel. Okasha points out that although the “map of takfiri movements is still fluid” they are in decline. “This is why they are now engaged in attention-grabbing tactics. For example, after a long period of stability in Rafah, the organisation carries out a sniper operation killing three soldiers. Or it carries out an operation on a front far away, such as the Beir Al-Abd attack. Or it intensifies operations in populated areas such as Al-Arish. This is their way of saying ‘we're here' in spite of the succession of security strikes.” Sinai resident Sabri, who recently moved to Arish from Sheikh Zuweid, adds, “I'm afraid that the intensification of security confrontations in Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid has driven those elements to Al-Arish. Therefore, their reaction to what is happening in those areas could come from other surrounding areas.”
