President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi asserted on Saturday that the great sacrifices carried out by Egypt had achieved their goals.
During his meeting with a number of Sinai chieftains and army commanders, he urged to hold one-minute silence on the souls of martyrs who were killed in Sinai for the sake of Egypt and Sinai’s security and safety.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi greeted the army officers and commanders as well as Sinai chieftains on the occasion of the holy month Ramadan, adding that he is happy to have Iftar with them.
He noted that no one can forget the sacrifices carried out by martyrs and those injured in battles aiming at reaching security, safety and stability in Egypt including Sinai that returned back to Egypt after battling the wicked who were there for 10 years.
The Egyptian state is working to make Sinai different from the one that we had witnessed during the past few years, President Sisi said.
We have put in a lot of work over the last seven to eight years. The outcomes are what matter the most; the prices are irrelevant, he added.
The Sinai Peninsula spans an area of 60,000 square kilometres, which is larger than all the inhabited area of Egypt at the moment, Sisi said.
This is something Sinai deserves when we put in the effort to create genuine development projects here, he added.
The amount of work done and money invested over the previous few years are enormous, Sisi said.
We mark the 10th of Ramadan’s anniversary here in Sinai, where the blood of the sons of the Armed Forces, the police, state bodies, and the Egyptian people was shed in the past few years. As the combat was on par with any battles witnessed by Egypt in earlier conflicts, thus the celebration must be suitable of such sacrifices, he added.
I reaffirm my pledge and covenant with the Egyptian people in Sinai that we will work harder on projects that will benefit everyone, President Sisi said.
We are working and will continue to work and move forward, and the state is already spending funds and will continue to do so because this needs to be fixed, he added.
President Sisi emphasized the need of strengthening cohesion between Sinai residents and the governmental bodies. “Along with the tribal sheikhs, the army commanders and police fulfill this duty. We are aware of these practices, value them, respect them, and will continue to support them.”
Sometimes there are severe difficulties, but through the sheikhs who use their heritage and values, we were able to solve these difficulties, Sisi said.
The world is experiencing a serious economic crisis that has a significant impact on us, but despite that, we will overcome the crisis as we have overcame several challenges, including the war against terrorism, the President stressed.
Allah the Almighty sees us working and striving, and he will reward us, he added.
No issue cannot be resolved, provided that we are willing to sacrifice and increase our efforts in a methodical, intelligent manner, Sisi said.
Notwithstanding the challenging conditions and the Russian crisis, we can handle it and its strain, and Allah will give us success to do that, he added.
President Sisi confirmed that he was aware of the situation in Sinai from 2008 to 2010, saying, “We all have to play a common role – not just state agencies – so we worked to strengthen the role and status of tribal sheikhs to guarantee that the past conditions will not be repeated again.
He added that the army and police, as well as all Egyptians, paid the price to restore stability in Sinai.
