Report: Egyptian Army Has Turned Sinai Schools Into Military Bases

Facts

• A report by the UK-based Sinai Foundation for Human Rights (SFHR), shared with The Guardian, claims that the Egyptian army, in its 10-year fight against militants in the Sinai, has taken over 37 schools and transformed them into military bases, while dozens more have been destroyed.¹
• Using satellite images, video, photos, and testimony from witnesses who live in the sparsely populated area, the SFHR claims that the army carried out the 'unnecessary targeting of certain schools,' causing 'community-wide shock,' with 59 schools being destroyed in clashes with the militants.¹
• The SFHR is a human rights NGO made up of local activists, researchers, and journalists that seeks to document alleged human rights violations in the Sinai. The group claims the ongoing armed conflict has led to random 'life-threatening bombings, forced displacement, and other severely dangerous violations.'²
• Following the country's 2011 Arab Spring uprising, Egypt held its first democratic elections, which led to Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood coming to power. However, in 2013, the Egyptian military deposed Morsi, and incumbent Pres. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in what many foreign observers called a coup.³
• Since 2013, militant attacks in Egypt have risen sharply, mainly in the Sinai Peninsula. Since then, hundreds of Egyptian security personnel have reportedly perished in attacks claimed by an affiliate of the Islamic State.⁴
• The Egyptian government has yet to comment on SFHR's report but has previously claimed to have financed the construction of new schools in North Sinai over the last few years.¹

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²Sina, ³Al Jazeera and ⁴Dw.com.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Middle east monitor. As Sisi continues to violate human rights throughout Egypt, including his brutal campaign against militants in the Sinai, it's important to remember how he came to power. Ultimately, Sisi is a US and Israeli stooge whose primary job is to repress democracy in Egypt and maintain Western geopolitical interests in the region. The only way to save Egypt and stop the horrors is to end support for Sisi and the Egyptian military.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Foreign affairs. Though it would be great if the US got to pick global leaders — something it is often accused of — the reality is that the US has to work with what it's got. In Egypt, though Sisi is likely a tyrant, he has kept the country stable, especially in the face of the post-2011 chaos brought on by the Muslim Brotherhood. To preserve regional stability, the US will have to grit its teeth and deal with an authoritarian in the Egyptian presidency.