At a time when Egypt announced the killing of two senior army officers in confrontations with illegal gold mining gangs on the border with Sudan, former military personnel confirmed that the dangers of “ragging” had gone beyond the economy to “trying to threaten Egyptian national security.”
The military spokesman for the Egyptian Armed Forces, Colonel Staff Ahmed Etman, announced on Thursday that two Egyptian army officers were killed during a military campaign targeting illegal gold prospecting operations on the southern border, adding, “The campaign aims to extend Egyptian sovereignty over its entire territory.”
He pointed out, during a press conference, that the operations to confront the phenomenon witnessed an exchange of fire, which claimed the life of the Chief of Staff of the Border Guard in the southern region, in addition to another Egyptian officer.
The League of Arab States expressed its condemnation of “the armed attack against Egyptian border guard forces in the southern region of the country.” She said, in a statement on Friday, that she “offers my sincere condolences and sincere sympathy to Egypt’s leadership, government and people.”
It affirmed its “full support for Egypt and its support for the legitimate measures it is taking to protect its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” stressing that “Egypt’s security and stability represent a fundamental pillar of Arab national security.”
The former Director of Morale Affairs in the Egyptian Army, Major General Samir Farag, said, “The dangers of prospecting gangs and so-called raiders have now exceeded the economic risks to Egypt, as extremely dangerous infiltrative elements who smuggle drugs and weapons, as well as illegal immigration elements, are infiltrating among them. “All of this represents a great danger to Egyptian national security.”
He added to Asharq Al-Awsat that “Egypt has suffered a lot, and is still suffering from the shared borders with Libya and with Sudan, because it is not controlled by the other side, and the confrontation becomes solely the responsibility of the Egyptian side, and the coming period will witness a strong response from the Egyptian authorities to cleanse this region, with the aim of protecting national security, and not just protecting wealth.”
The Egyptian military spokesman revealed, in a press conference on Thursday, “the launch of the fourth phase of the massive campaign to combat illegal exploration for gold ore in the Eastern Desert, starting from Saturday until its goals are achieved,” noting that “the armed forces have so far implemented 3 phases of the campaign.”
He explained that the results of the campaign resulted in the seizure of 4,488 tents and tents used in illegal excavation activities, in addition to the arrest of 691 people, including 151 Egyptians and 540 foreigners.
The Egyptian forces were also able to seize 34 weapons and 63,79 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, in addition to carrying out “several pre-emptive strikes” to cut off the supply of weapons and ammunition to the involved elements.
The military spokesman confirmed, “There is coordination between the armed forces and the Ministry of Interior to impose security control and tighten the noose on criminal elements operating in illegal exploration areas.”
The Egyptian army had announced, in a statement during the last week of last month, that the Border Guard forces, in cooperation with the main branches of the armed forces, had seized “27” incidents in the field of weapons and ammunition, resulting in the seizure of “1,149” weapons and about “187,000” rounds of different calibers within 3 months.
The head of the “Regional Security and Risk Analysis” group, Brigadier General Khaled Okasha, said, “The great efforts undertaken by the Egyptian authorities in the country’s southern border region in the recent period clearly demonstrate that the risks coming from those borders are not only economic, although the economic risks and the plundering of Egypt’s wealth are present in the scene, but also the security risks are the most important, as Egypt is very keen to prevent the penetration of its borders to engage in illegal activities.”
He pointed out to Asharq Al-Awsat that “gold prospecting represents one of the illegal activities of these gangs, but the most important strategic goal of the Egyptian authorities is to prevent the infiltration of non-Egyptian nationalities with the help of elements with goals seeking to create an area characterized by fluid security, near these borders, that represents a major threat to Egyptian national security.”
He explained, “The announcement of the arrest of more than 500 people of different nationalities, as well as the announcement of the killing of two senior officers in the security campaign, demonstrates that there are fierce confrontations and powerful weapons being used with the aim of threatening Egyptian stability, which the Egyptian forces are working to confront with determination and without any complacency.”
The intensity of violent battles in western Sudan escalated for the second day in a row, after the army launched a simultaneous attack on Thursday on areas under the control of the Rapid Support Forces in the north and west of the Kordofan region, at a time when there were conflicting reports about the extent of the progress of the two parties on the ground.
While the Sudanese army did not publish official details about those battles, the spokesman for the “Joint Force” (allied with the army), Major Mutawakkil Ali Wakil, said: “The (Joint Force) and the Sudanese Armed Forces carried out extensive military operations in the Kordofan axis, and recovered the areas of Umm Samima, Kazkel, Al-Hammadi, and Abu Qoud, and inflicted heavy losses in lives and equipment on the (Rapid Support Forces).”
He added in a press statement: “Our forces were able to destroy 40 combat vehicles and seize 43 other vehicles with full equipment, and continue to pursue the forces that fled the battlefield.”
He stressed that the Joint Force is continuing military operations in coordination with the army and supporting forces to recover all the lands controlled by the Rapid Support Forces.
It was not possible to independently verify the Joint Force’s statement regarding control of these areas.
The joint force of the armed struggle movements, which had previously joined the fight in the ranks of the Sudanese army against the Rapid Support Forces, consists of the forces of the Justice and Equality Movement, led by Jibril Ibrahim, and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, led by the governor of the Darfur region, Minni Arko Minawi.
On the other hand, media platforms loyal to the Rapid Support Forces reported that their forces set up ambushes for the attacking force, killed large numbers of them, seized combat vehicles with full military equipment, and regained control of the areas again.
It was likely that the army would withdraw to the city of El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, after the strikes it received in the various axes of Kordofan.
Usually, the two sides of the war do not acknowledge the loss of any region until one of them declares full control over it.
These military developments come after the army forces and the forces supporting them were able in the past months to recover important areas in North Kordofan state, and at the same time they are trying to advance to control the oil-rich state of West Kordofan.
Several days ago, there were reports that the army was preparing to launch large-scale counterattacks to regain the lands controlled by the Rapid Support Forces in West Kordofan.
Earlier, the army and the Rapid Support exchanged control of the towns of Kazkel and Al-Hammadi more than once.
The army did not officially announce its movements, but its leaders spoke earlier about expected battles in several axes to recover the areas controlled by the Rapid Support, indicating that the goal is to recover the cities of West Kordofan state, to open the way to the Darfur region, in the west of the country.
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani affirmed that the country’s resources “will be rationalized and protected from corruption and corruptors,” making them sufficient to achieve the aspirations of citizens.
Al-Ghazouani said, during his meeting with the executives, notables and activists of the southern state of Nouakchott on Thursday evening, that improving the conditions of the capital is not limited to building roads and facilities, but rather requires the cooperation of everyone, from the government, elites and citizens, to contribute to raising the level of awareness and changing some behaviors. Stressing that “the state alone cannot achieve this,” he called for concerted efforts and joint work in order to achieve the desired goals. During the meeting, the Mauritanian President announced a government intention to intensify efforts aimed at improving living conditions in the capital, Nouakchott, by strengthening water, health and education services, and developing the road network and public facilities. He explained that the next stage will focus on addressing the water shortage, expanding health coverage, supporting hospitals with specialists, in addition to improving educational institutions and expanding roads towards peripheral areas. He stressed that the implementation of service demands “will be carried out according to the available capabilities and gradually,” stressing the need to give the capital attention commensurate with its status as the front of the country.
These trends coincide with the launch of the second part of the emergency program for the development of Nouakchott with a huge budget. The program includes projects in the sectors of health, education, water, electricity and roads, as well as sports facilities and the rehabilitation of public spaces.
In this context, the President of the Republic stressed that the state’s ambition for the southern state of Nouakchott is to raise the level of services and infrastructure, and to provide the necessities of a decent living for all families. He highlighted that the goal is for the state to regain its position and become a capital worthy of its residents, by providing basic facilities and facilities for various youth activities.
Al-Ghazwani pointed out that the state witnessed important transformations in infrastructure and basic services, and received the largest share of the interventions of the emergency program for the development of the city of Nouakchott. He explained that his visit to the state aims to communicate directly with citizens, listen to their concerns, learn about their living conditions, and exchange opinions on issues that concern them.
Al-Ghazwani also stressed the importance of directing investments towards revitalizing the local economy, improving living conditions, and enhancing basic services, stressing that residents of all states of the capital deserve to have their demands heard, without exception.
