Egypt: Sisi honours militia fighter accused of war crimes in Sinai
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi honoured the Sinai militia fighter Ibrahim Hammad as a “martyr” on Tuesday despite calls by rights groups to investigate war crimes allegations against him.
At an annual event remembering members of the armed forces killed in combat, Sisi named Ibrahim Hammad as a “martyr hero”, and gave a reward to his mother.
Hammad was killed on 10 May 2022 while participating in an Egyptian army operation against alleged “terrorists” in the Sheikh Zuweid area in North Sinai.
The Sinai Foundation for Human Rights (SFHR), a London-based group that advocates for accountability for rights abuses in Sinai, has strongly denounced Sisi’s comments.
“The SFHR and international organisations, including Human Rights Watch, have documented this individual’s involvement in cold-blooded field executions of unarmed civilians in Sinai in 2017,” the group said.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
“This act represents a severe insult to the victims and their families and reinforces the policy of impunity.”
'Undeniable war crime'
A video verified by HRW in April 2017 shows an operation in which Hamad, then a member of a local militia aligned with the Egyptian army, took part in shootings of two brothers from the Rumailat tribe: Daoud Sabri al-Awabdah, 16, and Abd al-Hadi Sabri al-Awabdah, 19.
According to HRW, the brothers had been arrested on 18 July 2016 in the town of Rafah and forcibly disappeared.
“The video shows Ibrahim Hamad Ibrahim Hamad carrying out field executions of detainees at point-blank range - an undeniable war crime that demands accountability,” SFHR said on Tuesday.
“Despite the clear evidence and his identification, no investigation or legal action was taken against him. Instead, he continued working with the army until his death in May 2022 due to an explosive device detonation.
“Honouring war criminals sends a clear message that the state has no intention of holding human rights violators accountable but instead provides them with official protection - even after their deaths,” the group added.
The Egyptian army, aided by local tribesmen, fought a war against members of the Islamic State-affiliated Sinai Province between 2013 and 2022.
The group, which was relatively small and poorly armed, has been defeated, according to the Egyptian army and local Sinai tribal sources who spoke to Middle East Eye.
During the course of the war, thousands of indigenous inhabitants of North Sinai villages were forcibly displaced and have yet to return to their lands, much of which has been turned into a buffer zone along the borders with Israel and Gaza.
During nearly 10 years of hostilities, HRW and SFHR documented war crimes committed by both sides of the conflict.
Cairo has yet to investigate the alleged violations or bring anyone to justice. It has also granted amnesties to members of the Islamic State after the end of the war.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
