Against Terrorism and Its Makers… No to Killing Soldiers… No to Killing Protesters… Against a New Mandate

Statement by the Revolutionary Socialists

Dozens of poor soldiers—lacking the connections needed to be stationed in cities—shed their blood in Sinai, paying the price for failed policies in confronting armed militant groups. They join the hundreds of comrades who had fallen before them while their commanding generals are promoted instead of being held accountable for failing to manage the battle and protect their troops.

A year and a half after the mandate Sisi requested in July 2013, it has become clear to anyone with reason that these policies have failed. Despite the demolition of homes, the displacement of Rafah’s residents, the imposition of a state of emergency, and a curfew starting at sunset, terrorism has not been eliminated. Instead, the suffering of our people in Sinai has worsened. They are deprived of water, treatment, and medication throughout the night in mountain villages. They endure unprecedented oppression and violations, which have pushed many of their youth into the ranks of armed groups. This happens amid a comprehensive media blackout and a complete lack of transparency or accountability for the daily crimes committed against the people of Sinai.

It is not only the oppression of Sinai’s residents that drives people to join militant groups but also the political repression Egypt has experienced for a year and a half. Thousands have fallen in successive massacres with no killers held to account. Tens of thousands have been detained without trial under a shameful protest law, while Mubarak, his sons, and his gang have been released. What can we expect when dozens are burned to death in a police van, and a phone call frees the killer from Sisi’s office because he is the son of a general? Or when the Interior Ministry tries to cover up the murder of our colleague Shaimaa despite clear video evidence of the perpetrator? Justice is the foundation of governance, and in the absence of justice and amid political deadlock, many young people see no path to opposition other than joining these groups.

The military regime has succeeded only in turning thousands of poor soldiers into new victims—or into “Ahmed Sabe’ El-Lil,” blindly directed to kill the so-called “enemies of the nation,” whether in Sinai or among protesters in Egypt’s streets. They are being used to protect a regime that has failed at everything: delivering stability, security, and even the most basic needs, such as healthcare and housing. The lies of the “Kofta Device” and the “Million Apartments” have been exposed. Food and fuel prices have soared. Even the regime’s so-called war on terror has proven ineffective.

Instead of admitting this failure, Sisi and the military regime are seeking meetings with political parties to gain a new mandate—yet another license to kill, repress, and violate freedoms—encouraged by the cheerleading of a dishonest media that demonizes and incites against the opposition. This pushes us further into polarization: between a deranged regime that has yet to be sated by bloodshed and increasingly violent militant groups. It is as if the only solution lies in military and security confrontation, with no consideration for political solutions that could save us from this infernal cycle. This cycle serves only the interests of both sides. Sisi’s authoritarian regime would not survive without its fabricated war on terror, for otherwise, it would face a revolution by the starving masses. Likewise, continued repression guarantees the militants a steady influx of recruits while the people are crushed between them.

As Revolutionary Socialists, while we firmly believe in the revolution of the masses as the true path to change, we also categorically reject the individual terrorism represented by these militant groups. We reject their reactionary and sectarian ideas, which we see as an obstacle to the continuation of the revolution and a force that undermines social mobilizations. Together with the madness of the military regime, they are driving the country to the edge of civil war.

We therefore call upon the youth of the revolutionary forces and political parties to unite against the regime’s attempts to exploit the recent incident to secure a new mandate for more killing, repression, and violation of freedoms. Instead, we demand the following:
1. Prosecute the leaders responsible for the deaths of dozens of soldiers over the past year and a half and publicly announce the outcomes of these trials.
2. Lift the media blackout on what is happening to our people in Sinai, compensate those harmed, and disclose this transparently.
3. Withdraw armored vehicles and soldiers deployed across Egyptian cities and return them to their barracks.
4. Repeal the protest law and release the thousands detained under it.
5. Dismiss the Minister of Interior for his political responsibility for the killing of protesters, including our colleague Shaimaa and the martyrs of the revolution’s fourth anniversary.
6. Restructure and purge the Ministry of Interior and conduct an impartial investigation into the recent leaks involving the Minister and senior officers.
7. Remove Abdel Fattah El-Sisi from power.
Glory to all the martyrs… Shame on all the murderers… Victory to the revolution.