A view of Egypt by an international Radio correspondent living in Cairo

Posted: 04/05/2015

RPS was privilged to listen to an international radio correspondent from a european broadcaster talking about her views on Egypt and the Middle east. Here RPS outlines some of what she said. We have kept her name out of this post, as she made the comments off the record.

An international radio correspondent’s view of Egypt today

In Egypt there is no official opposition at present and the country is back where it was. Most of the hierarchy of the Muslim Brotherhood are now in prison or facing either lengthy prison sentences or the death sentence.

There are IEDs going off pretty much every day. There are never mass casualties but there is often much damage. It appears that the aim is to scare and intimidate. Is ISIS/Daesh is behind this? The security forces do appear to find a lot before they explode and aspersions have been cast on the Egyptian security forces.

5 am an IED goes off with no casualties. Why? Why not do it when there are lots of people around and kill everyone?

The security forces or ISIS/Daesh? That is the question. No high grade explosives and anyway ISIS/ Daesh has the confidence of many Egyptians. People actually have hope. Government bonds in the Suez canal project (where it is going to be widened) were sold out within 8 days of them going on sale. Will this turn things around?

The picture in the Middle East is not looking quite so good. Egypt is no longer classed as a “dangerous country” nor is Lebanon, which has the same IED problem. Jordan still seems to look likely to stay safer than anywhere else in the region, where there are 70% of Jordanians and 30% are Palestinians. The Jordanian security forces are on the whole efficient and therefore it has become a safer hub.

RPS will have a consultant in Cairo next week so keep a look out for future posts. Contact us at [email protected]

Photo: with thanks to www.breakingnews.com

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