US Congressmen aides visit Egypt's North Sinai: Military

Ahram Online , Wednesday 22 Jan 2020

The visit is part of efforts to "strengthen Egyptian-US relations and joint cooperation between the two countries in various fields"

North Sinai
The US congressmen aides delegation during a meeting with North Sinai Governor Mohamed Abdel-Fadil Shousha on Wednesday (Photo: Egypt's Army Spokesperson Facebook Page)

A delegation of US Congressmen aides visited North Sinai to follow up on economic development efforts in the border region, the Egyptian military said in a statement on Wednesday.

The visit is part of efforts to "strengthen Egyptian-US relations and joint cooperation between the two countries in various fields and consolidate security and stability," army spokesman Tamer El-Refaai said.

The six-member delegation of Republican and Democratic congressional aides underscored the importance of "coordination and consultation between the two countries at all levels in light of Egypt's counter-terrorism efforts," the statement added.
The delegation met with the governor of North Sinai and visited a number of ongoing economic development projects, including the water desalination plant project in Al-Arish city, the capital of North Sinai.

The statement quoted the Congressmen praising "efforts made by the Egyptian army to achieve security and stability and return life to normal in North Sinai," which was the epicentre of Islamists militants in recent years.

Egypt's security forces have been combating an Islamist terrorist insurgency based in North Sinai, which intensified in 2013 following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Eliminating terrorists, who have mainly targeted police and army personnel, has been a key priority of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi since his election as president in 2014.

In February 2018, Egyptian security forces launched an extensive security operation to eliminate the militants and restore security, killing hundreds of them in raids ever since.

During a meeting with President El-Sisi in September in New York, US President Donald Trump hailed Egypt's successful counter-terrorist efforts, asserting that Cairo is a key partner in the fight against terrorism. 

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