Egypt Media Roundup (19 April)

[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Egypt and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Egypt Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week's roundup to egypt@jadaliyya.com by Sunday night of every week.]

Political Rights

Journalist Hassan al Banna forcibly disappeared at Cairo airport after being refused entry to Jordan, deported

Journalist Hassan al-Banna has been forcibly disappeared after being detained by the National Security Agency upon his arrival to Cairo airport on Sunday evening following his deportation to Egypt by Jordanian authorities, according to Banna’s brother Abdel Rahman Fares.

Renowned Egyptian journalist Magdy Hussein released after finishing prison sentence

Egyptian authorities on Monday released renowned journalist Magdy Ahmed Hussein after he had finished his imprisonment sentence.

Egyptian prosecution releases two more journalists pending investigation

Egyptian prosecution ordered on Monday night the release of journalist Sulafa Magdy and her husband photojournalist Hossam El-Sayyad pending investigation in charges of "joining a terrorist group and misusing social media platforms".

Veteran Egyptian journalist Khaled Dawoud released from detention pending investigation

Egyptian prosecutors ordered on Monday the release of veteran journalist Khaled Dawoud pending investigation in charges of aiding a terrorist organization in achieving its goals via disseminating false news.

Study: 35 new prisons ordered built in Egypt in last 10 years

Egyptian authorities have issued orders to build thirty-five new prisons in the last ten years, according to a report published by the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) on Sunday, including six ordered built within just the past three months.

New witnesses: Egyptian authorities planned to misdirect inquiry into Regeni murder before body was found

New witness testimonies provided to Italian prosecutors have laid out Egyptian security officers’ plans to misdirect the investigation into the murder of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni as early as February 2, 2016, a day before his body was found abandoned beside a road on the outskirts of Cairo, several Italian press outlets reported since Wednesday.

Egypt Press Syndicate condemns Health Ministry’s alleged media obstruction

Egypt’s Press Syndicate has condemned an incident in which Ministry of Health and Population Spokesperson Khaled Mogahed allegedly attempted to stop journalists in Qena from reporting on an official visit by Minister Hala Zayed.

Egypt legalizes 82 unlicensed churches; total reaches 1,882 churches since 2017

A cabinet committee tasked with legalizing the status of unlicensed Christian places of worship approved on Monday the legalization of eighty-two churches and service buildings that had been operating without a permit, the cabinet said in a statement.

Foreign Policy

Sisi stresses to Djibouti president importance of reaching GERD settlement to avoid regional instability

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Thursday the latest developments concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) with the president of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh in a telephone call, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

Not resolving GERD crisis will negatively impact stability in the region: Sisi tells Lavrov

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday that failing to resolve the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis would negatively impact the security and stability of the region.

Egypt's foreign affairs minister embarks on African tour to deliver updates of Renaissance Dam negotiations

Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry embarked on Sunday on an African tour to update several countries on the developments of the Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue.

Egypt, Russia discuss cooperation projects, regional issues

Shoukry added that it was agreed upon to continue all coordination efforts between the two countries at the ministerial and sub-ministerial level. The details on the 2 + 2 automatic meetings at the level of the two countries’ Foreign and Defense Ministers will soon be determined.

Turkish foreign minister says new period starting in Egypt ties

Turkey's foreign minister said a new period was beginning in Ankara's ties with Egypt with senior officials from the two countries set to hold talks, broadcaster NTV said on Wednesday.

Egyptian, Greek foreign ministers discuss bilateral cooperation, regional issues in Cairo

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias are holding a meeting in Cairo to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation as well as regional issues of mutual interests.

Egypt condemns latest Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia's Jizan

"Egypt categorically condemned the latest terrorist attack on Saudi Arabia’s southern Jizan region by Yemen’s Houthi militias," said a statement by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

Egypt navy discusses with US 5th fleet maximizing its participation in CMF

Top Egyptian and United States navies officials discussed on Tuesday maximizing Cairo’s participation in the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) to commensurate to its pivotal role as a powerful force for the region.

Egyptian-African Relations Committee discusses strengthening Egypt’s stance in Africa

The Standing Committee for the Follow-up of Egyptian-African Relations held a meeting on Sunday to discuss Egyptian activities regarding Africa.

Economy

Big fish in a shrinking pond: How an Armed Forces company built a fish farming monopoly

Several fish farming experts agree that there have been vigorous efforts by the government over the past few years to pressure the fish resources authority, the main entity responsible for fish wealth and fish farming in Egypt, to step down from its role.

Egypt's current account deficit widens to $4.8 billion in October-December

Egypt’s current account deficit widened to 4.8 billion US dollars in October-December from 3.2 billion US dollars in the same period in 2019, according to central bank figures released on Monday.

Suez Canal Authority detains Ever Given ship amid compensation negotiations

An anonymous source in the Suez Canal Authority told Reuters that an Egyptian court has issued an order to detain the Ever Given container ship in the Suez Canal amid compensation negotiations with the ship’s owner.

INTERVIEW: Egypt’s tax share of GDP remains low, more could be done on income taxation to close loopholes: World Bank’s chief economist

“We project Egypt to attain seven percent overall budget deficit and 1.8 percent primary surplus in FY2021/22, which starts in July”, said Gatti

Egyptian farmers fearful as Ethiopia goes for 2nd Blue Nile dam filling

The dam has left millions of Egyptian farmers feeling threatened, especially after the recent government measures that forced them to reduce the cultivation of some crops that they were accustomed to.

Domestic Security

Another train derails in Toukh, Qalyubiya, injuring 97, unconfirmed deaths

At least eight people were killed after a train derailed on Sunday near the city of Toukh in Qalyubiya Governorate, according to a preliminary count reported in local news outlets, while a Health Ministry statement announced that ninety-seven were injured. The Health Ministry statement did not include a death toll.

15 injured in train derailment in Sharqiya in the Nile Delta

Two carriages of a Cairo-Mansoura train skidded off tracks on Wednesday evening near the Minya Al-Qamh station in the Nile Delta's Sharqiya governorate, leaving fifteen passengers injured.

Arish residents blast planned demolitions for development plan, Province of Sinai attacks continue

Aside from the ongoing conflict between militants and security forces in North Sinai, residents of Arish and Sheikh Zuwayed are now also having to contend with government development plans to demolish residences in certain areas to make way for new highways in the governorate — a hot button issue that has affected Cairo and other cities across the country.

IS executes elderly Copt, threatens 'crusaders' worldwide and supporters of the Egyptian army

A sixty-two-year-old Copt was executed by the Islamic State (IS) in a video released on Sunday, where IS militants threatened Christians of Egypt and warned them that their fate will be like their elderly victim.

Egypt's security forces kill 3 terrorists involved in executing elderly Christian in Sinai: Interior ministry

A day after the Islamic State (ISIS) released a video showing three terrorists shooting an elderly Christian in the head, the Egyptian interior ministry said on Monday its security forces killed three terrorists involved in the incident in North Sinai.

Doctors, officials call for urgent measures in Upper Egypt to combat surge in coronavirus cases

Doctors, parliamentarians, and medical officials are calling for urgent measures to be taken to combat a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths in the governorate of Sohag in recent days. Hospitals in the area have been overwhelmed with patients seeking treatment, forcing them to turn away people experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Egypt's Doctors Syndicate urges health ministry to accelerate vaccinations for medical staff after spike in deaths

Egypt’s Doctors Syndicate has urged on Monday the health ministry to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination of medical staff without delay amid a rise in infections and deaths among front liners in the past period.

Egypt’s Vacsera will soon produce coronavirus vaccine: Health Ministry

Two Vacsera factories will soon begin to manufacture a coronavirus vaccine, Alaa Eid, head of the preventive medicine sector at the Ministry of Health, said.

From Jadaliyya

Yahia Shawkat, Egypt's Housing Crisis: The Shaping of Urban Space (New Texts Out Now)

“Egypt’s Housing Crisis provides an urban history of housing in Egypt over the course of eighty years. It does so through a reading of the main policy elements the government has used to shape housing supply during this time: regulation and provision.”