Major General al-Sayyed Abdel Wahab Mabrouk, South Sinai governor, on Thursday said tribesmen will be in charge of securing pumping stations and natural gas pipelines in the government. A pipeline transferring natural gas from Egypt to Israel and Jordan was bombed twice this year, halting gas flow. Abdel Wahab said the Petroleum Ministry would designate some of the tribesmen to secure the pipeline and the stations. The decision comes despite security forces' repeated run-ins with bedouins in the area and allegations that they were responsible for the initial attacks on the pipeline. He specified that six to eight tribesmen will be contracted and posted near the stations and the pipes. There will also be coordination with the other tribes so as to avoid potential accidents. Sinai bedouins have often complained that the government marginalizes them. A conference held by the Sinai tribes in March called on the government to set up projects for developing Sinai and lifting restrictions on investment there. Translated from the Arabic Edition
