Egyptian artist Mohamed Mounir organized a public concert called “One Nation” in the city of Arish on Friday evening, in a bid to promote stability and security in Egypt’s Sinai region.
The concert was the first of its kind to be held in the city, which has been plagued by the impact of terrorism for years.
On January 25, 2011, protests erupted in Egypt that ultimately led to the removal of former President Hosni Mubarak. Concurrently, the Sinai Peninsula experienced a security lapse, as terrorist organizations targeted military, police, and civilian personnel with attacks. Eventually, Egypt declared victory in its fight against terrorism.
North Sinai Governor Mohamed Abdel Fadil Shosha announced in an official statement that the concert was part of the celebrations marking the national holiday of North Sinai and the 41st anniversary of the liberation of the region.
He also disclosed that several other developmental projects would be inaugurated in various sectors across different centers and cities of the governorate in the upcoming week.
Brigadier Samir Faraj, a military and strategic expert, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the concert by Mounir, along with the camel festival, demonstrates the stability of the security situation in Sinai and adds to the growing signs of a return to normalcy in the region.
He also noted that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s Iftar with soldiers, officers, and Sinai elders was the first time an Egyptian president had joined military personnel and officers for breaking fast in Sinai.
Faraj also mentioned that “for years, the triangle of Rafah, Arish, and Sheikh Zuweid had been a death triangle for anyone who tried to move within it, and a curfew was imposed there before the situation stabilized and the Egyptian Armed Forces were able to defeat terrorism.”
He pointed out that “the area has not witnessed any terrorist attacks over the past two and a half years.”
