Union of Arab Tribes Denies Being Militia, Launches Civil Society Association: A Detailed Explanation

A spokesman for the Union of Arab Tribes, Mustafa Bakri, denied that the new entity led by controversial Sinai businessman Ibrahim Al-Arjani was a “militia” or armed groups. explain that it was a “civil society association that worked within the organization.” the framework of the law.”

During the program “Al-Hekaya” on MBC Misr, Bakri answered a question about the discussions that have been circulating in recent days that the Union of Arab Tribes could be “outside militias” of the state and the law,” by denying those allegations.

Bakri said: “The constitution and the law prohibit the creation of armed militias within the framework of the law of Civil Societies?”

He continued: “The experience of the Sinai Tribal Union was different, as it worked in collaboration with the armed forces and the police in Sinai to achieve a specific objective, namely to provide information about locations of terrorists and help counter them. national mission carried out by the people of Sinai during the military operation was complete, and it ended.”

Bakri explained that the Union of Arab Tribes includes “existing tribal organizations and civil societies…

When asked if the military formations that were working in Sinai with the army to face the terrorist group ISIS were still working, Bakri said: “This is a question that has been sent to Union Sinai Tribes I am talking about the Union of Arab Tribes, which includes existing legitimate groups.”

The launch of the Union of Arab Tribes was announced at a large conference in the town of Al-Ajra, south of Rafah in North Sinai, on Wednesday.

The union said in a statement that it aims to “create a popular national framework that includes members of Arab tribes to unify levels and bring all tribal groups into one framework, to support the stability of the nation-state and face the challenges that threaten it. its security and stability, as well as striving hard to accept national issues and dialogue with all Arab tribes to reach To achieve equality within the framework of the state and to serve its goals, and in support of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.”

The statement emphasized that the union “is a proposal and his vision rises above all party and ideological affiliations … his message is to the state, and the unification of the tribes does not go against stability of the country, and it is not against the parties. and coalitions to which a hand is extended for cooperation and coordination.”

The statement explained that it was agreed to elect Al-Arjani, the head of the Sinai Tribes Union, as the head of the Arab Tribes Union, Ahmed Raslan, who was the head of the Arab Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, as vice president, and Major General Ahmed Saqr, former governor of Gharbia, as vice president.

Al-Arjani, who was elected president of the new federation, said that he came “based on the national and social responsibility, awareness and awareness of the challenges facing the country in all aspects pre- resourcefulness, and an emphasis on the historic role that tribes and families have played in the march of this country and supporting its institutions.”

He said that during the conference, the idea of ​​establishing this union came to achieve goals, including “the creation of a popular national framework, which includes members of Arab tribes , which aims to unify levels and bring all tribal groups into a single framework. in support of the stability of the nation-state.”

The “Al-Hurra” website had previously revealed, based on the testimonies of five people from the Gaza Strip, distributed among the United States, Egypt, Germany and Turkey, an espionage operation whose threads all ‘ crossing the office of the “Hala” company, whose board of directors is led by Ibrahim Al-Arjani.

Al-Arjani is considered one of the few Egyptian businessmen who are allowed to export goods to Gaza from Egypt, and he is one of the leaders of the Tarabin tribe in Sinai.