The Arab Tribes Union (ATU), an alliance of 30 Egyptian Bedouin tribes, does not infringe upon the Egyptian constitution or laws, its spokesman said,
It respects all state institutions, Mostafa Bakry added.
Speaking to MENA on the fringe of an ATU conference in Giza, south-southwest of Cairo, on Monday, Bakry added the union is a national patriotic entity that backs state institutions.
“If some parties are trying to demonize the union, I advise them to read about the history of the Sinai Arab Organization, which was created after the 1967 Six-Day War,” Bakry said, describing allegations that the union might endanger national security as “sheer falsehood”.
He added that one of the union’s principal missions is to support the political leadership’s efforts for protecting national security, promoting development, resolving problems facing tribal communities, combating disinformation and instigation campaigns against the state, and raising public awareness about fourth-generation warfare.
As a non-government collaborative social entity, the union is going to establish an association pursuant to the Egyptian NGO law, to contribute to the state’s community development as well as anti-extremist efforts, Bakry said.
The Arab Tribes Union (ATU), an alliance of five Egyptian Bedouin tribes, was announced on 1 May with the stated goal of integrating tribal entities into a single framework to support the Egyptian state against security threats.
