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Egypt: Government Determines 6 Regions Most in Need of Development

A general view shows the Egyptian parliament (File photo: Reuters)
A general view shows the Egyptian parliament (File photo: Reuters)
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Egypt: Government Determines 6 Regions Most in Need of Development

A general view shows the Egyptian parliament (File photo: Reuters)
A general view shows the Egyptian parliament (File photo: Reuters)

The Egyptian government decided Sunday to include six regions among governorates “most in need of development”, according to a law aimed at providing incentives to investors and enhancing job opportunities in those geographical areas.

The areas included under the category “most in need” are governorates to the south of Giza, the Suez Canal Region, east of the Canal area, and border governorates, including the Red Sea governorate, and the Upper Egypt governorates.

The latest official census on the poverty rate in Egypt showed that 32.5 percent of citizens are below the national poverty line.

Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, ordered that the areas “most in need” will receive facilities in certain economic activities, including intensive labor projects, medium and small projects, and projects that depend on or produce renewable energy, as well as others.

Through its action plan, the government aims to reduce unemployment rates.

Earlier, Minister of Planning Hala al-Saeed said that unemployment indicators for Q4 of 2019 showed lower rates to reach 8 percent, compared to 8.9 percent in Q4 of the previous year.

In the same context, the Minister of Local Development, Mahmoud Shaarawi, inaugurated a number of development projects in Sohag governorate, south of Egypt, as part of the presidential initiative to develop villages most in need.

The Egyptian government plans to develop 478 villages at an estimated cost of about EGP10 billion by 2022, by implementing a “decent life” initiative that include projects to improve transportation services, drinking water, sanitation, electricity, lighting, education, and health.

The initiative also aims to provide job opportunities with soft loans to promote economic situations.

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Sudanese War Escalates as Army and RSF Leaders Vow to Fight Till the End

Destroyed buildings in the southern neighborhood of Khartoum (AFP)
Destroyed buildings in the southern neighborhood of Khartoum (AFP)
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Sudanese War Escalates as Army and RSF Leaders Vow to Fight Till the End

Destroyed buildings in the southern neighborhood of Khartoum (AFP)
Destroyed buildings in the southern neighborhood of Khartoum (AFP)

The military rhetoric intensified as warring factions in Sudan—Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti)— vowed to fight until the complete elimination of the other.

Their statements come amid significant battlefield developments, with the Sudanese army recently announcing full control over the capital, Khartoum, after expelling RSF forces.

During his Eid speech, Burhan pledged that his forces would continue fighting until victory, ruling out any peace deal unless the RSF surrenders its weapons. Meanwhile, Hemedti declared that his forces, which withdrew from Khartoum, would return stronger and more determined.

In a voice message on Telegram, Hemedti acknowledged that RSF troops had pulled out of Khartoum last week as the army consolidated its gains in the capital.

He said: “It’s true that in recent days, our forces withdrew to reposition in Omdurman. This was a strategic decision by our leadership and operations command. It was a collective decision.”

He added: “We assure you that, yes, we have left Khartoum, but by God’s will, we will return stronger, more resilient, and victorious... This war is far from over. In fact, it has only just begun.”

Speculation has arisen over the RSF’s withdrawal from Khartoum without significant fighting, leading to rumors of a possible undisclosed agreement between the two sides. However, both Burhan and Hemedti have categorically denied any such deal.

The country has effectively become divided into two parts, with the army controlling the north and east, while the Rapid Support Forces hold most of Darfur in the west and some areas in the south.

During the fragile political transition following the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, Burhan and Hemedti formed a temporary alliance to expel civilian figures from the government before engaging in a bloody power struggle that later escalated into open war.

Despite the setback suffered by the RSF in the capital at the hands of the army, the country remains de facto divided into two regions: the army controls eastern and northern Sudan, while the RSF holds almost the entire vast region of Darfur in the west and parts of the south.