Violence broke out between rival Sudanese street gangs outside the American University in Cairo recently, ironically during its celebration of World Refugee Day. Gang members hacked at 24-year-old Maliah Bekam’s skull with machetes until he died, making this the fifth gang-related death in the past year, according to community officials. (There are, however, no official records.)

In recent years, two major Sudanese street gangs have emerged in Egypt: the Outlaws and the Lost Boys. The groups emulate American gang culture: baggy jeans, caps, trainers and rap music. Members are usually older teenagers from southern Sudan. Membership isn’t based on ethnic groups or religion, but on the Cairo neighborhoods that they claim to defend. The Outlaws hold territory in Abassiya and Maadi, while the Lost Boys claim Heliopolis and Ain Shams.

There are an estimated one million Sudanese refugees in Egypt. Almost four million were displaced and two million killed during the two decades of war between the government and Christians and rebels in the south. Those who fled to Egypt were promised relocation to the US, but after the peace treaty was signed in 2005, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) severely cut the number of refugees it would resettle. Policy shifted to integrating the refugees into Egyptian society, or voluntarily repatriation, which is on the rise (548 registered for departure this year), according to Abeer Etefa, UNHCR spokesperson.

Still, many refugees refuse to return to Sudan, and those that stay are not given work permits or granted refugee status. In December 2005, thousands of Sudanese staged a sit-in outside Mustafa Mahmoud Mosque in Mohandiseen, culminating in clashes between police and protestors that left at least 23 dead.

The marginalization and racial abuse has led some Sudanese youth to join gangs, as without jobs or access to education, many say they have little hope. According to an AUC study researched over 2005-2006 entitled “Youth Violence among Southern Sudanese in Cairo,” after the killing of the Sudanese, the Egyptian government adopted a “hands-off” policy in relation to the Sudanese. This policy, the report surmises, is part of the reason they fail to investigate gang crimes and round up the leaders.

NEWSREEL

In August, the government announced its decision to sell 80 percent of Banque du Caire in a public auction open to foreign bidders — a move that caused panic among economic nationalists. As of press time, there was no talk of any potential bidders, although the Lawyers’ Syndicate announced an initiative to buy the bank in a public bidding and rescue it from the possibility of it being controlled by foreigners. Under what is called the “Let Us All List for Egypt” initiative, the syndicate is encouraging citizens, civil society organizations and businessmen to deposit funds in a bank account, the money from which will then be used to make a bid on the bank.

Others have followed the syndicate’s lead in denouncing the government’s decision to sell the bank. Earlier this month during a party conference, Mahmoud Abaza, president of Al-Wafd Party and member of the People’s Assembly, heavily criticized the government, warning against the collapse of the entire banking system and adding that the decision to sell off the bank was a political decision as opposed to a financial one.

Yehia Hussein Abdel-Hadi, founder of the newly formed “No to Selling Egypt” group, which hopes to mobilize local support to protest the way in which public assets are being sold, has urged Banque du Caire’s clients to move their money to National Bank of Egypt and Bank Misr in an attempt to make the Banque du Caire sale unattractive to potential bidders.

In early August, the left-wing Al-Tagammua’ Party organized a demonstration to protest the sale in Talaat Harb Square — symbolic in that Talaat Harb, famed for his nationalist economic policies, founded Banque du Caire in 1952. After he bought out two French-controlled banks, Le Crédit Lyonnais and Comptoir National d’escompte de Paris, Harb’s establishment of Banque du Caire was seen as a step towards economic independence from foreign control.

Omar Mohsen Essam El-Erian and some 35 other Brothers were detained after news of a draft platform for the Muslim Brotherhood’s proposed civil political party hit the media.

It seems that now many fear that the current privatization program will usher in a new area of colonialism.

After the announcement, many people pointed fingers at Ahmed El-Baradei, the former president of Banque du Caire. They claimed that he drove the bank into the ground by turning a blind eye to the 46 businessmen who trampled LE 25 billion worth of loans (almost 75 percent of the bank’s transactions). With accumulated debts of about LE 12–14 billion, six times its entire capital worth, the bank was to merge with Banque Misr, but a decision was made that it be sold separately instead. In response, El-Baradei told Al-Masry Al-Youm that he did everything in his power to keep the bank afloat, even after the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) declined to give him a bailout package of LE 6 billion to alleviate the bank’s debt.

Shortly following the announcement, the CBE declared that the ‘sudden’ decision to sell was not sudden at all. In a press conference in August, CBE Governor Farouk El-Okda said the decision to sell was made over six months ago and was not publicly announced to protect other banks involved. (LB)

In its continuing bid to have an officially sanctioned political presence, the banned Muslim Brotherhood is reportedly in the process of drafting a platform for a new civil political party. Details from the party platform were reported in independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm, which broke the story, followed by state-owned daily Al-Ahram, but the Brotherhood’s leaders insist that the published accounts were inaccurate, saying that the platform has yet to be officially released.

Associated Press Photo An Egyptian Army officer films a smuggler’s tunnel located under a house near the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza strip

Within days after the unofficial party blueprint hit the press, the government detained more than 35 prominent MB members, including members of Parliament Ragab Abu Zeid and Sabri Amer; Essam El-Erian, head of the group’s political department; and Mahmoud Hussein, member of the MB’s Guidance Office.

Meanwhile, the military trial of 40 Brotherhood members resumed in late August. The defendants, accused of money laundering and membership in a banned group, had a brief respite while the courts wrangled over the venue: A lower court had ruled that the civilians could not be tried in a military tribunal, but in May, the Supreme Administrative Court overturned that decision. (KD)

The Metro has been under the spotlight recently, with sporadic striking from workers, security issues and rumors of a split from the Egyptian Railway System (ERS). In early August, speculation was confirmed when the ERS relinquished control over the Metro system — which, about to embark on its third line expansion, will become an autonomous institution.

Head of the Metro Operation Authority Magdy Amin El-Azab decided that it was time the Metro solved its problems out of its own budget. Impromptu strikes throughout most of June and July likely recalled the strikes of one year ago, and workers’ demands for pay rises, better working conditions and more rights for the overcrowded metro put placating the workers at the top of the Metro’s to-do list.

Associated Press Photo Ayman Nour: Still in jail —and now a leader no more.

Just the thought of organizational autonomy seemed to improve morale. Two weeks after the announcement, in which the Ministry of Transportation agreed to recognize the Metro system as an autonomous body, Metro employees were passing out fliers on how passengers could play a part in making their underground journey a more pleasant experience. The flyers beseeched riders not to buy from candy or tissue sellers, so the peddlers would eventually find their livelihood elsewhere. The handbills also asked passengers not to allow people to slip through turnstiles without a ticket.

Despite the current separation of their budgets, neither ERS nor the Metro believes they will remain self-sustainableforever. Both have revealed plans to increase ticket prices within the coming year to ‘improve services.’ On the train, only first- and second-class riders will pay a higher price; the ERS president told Al-Masry Al-Youm that it “should not make a difference to people who have enough to ride first and second class anyway.” (RH)

As the muslim Brotherhood planned to float their platform for a civil political party, members of the still-unrecognized Al-Wasat Party made their fourth bid for official status. The moderate Islamist organization is to submit a new application to the Shura Council’s Political Parties Affairs Committee (PPAC) this month.

Al-Wasat had filed applications in 1996, 1998 and 2004, but in each case court officials concluded the party’s program offered nothing new to the existing field. After the last rejection, the group appealed to the Administrative Court, which in January said the platform was indeed unique, based on a document from the PPAC’s advisory committee noting the party emphasizes the role of using Islamic tradition in inspiring reform while maintaining the rights of women and Christians and offering an extensive economic reform plan.

“No essential change has been introduced to the platform of the party, since the Administrative Court asked us to increase the number of founders from 200 to 1,000 to comply with the new rules of the political parties law and then apply again for the license,” the organization’s deputy founder Abou El-Ela Mady told Al-Ahram last month.

Although Al-Wasat was initially a Brotherhood initiative that first attempted to launch in 1996 when Madi was still a member, a subsequent power struggle saw the two groups to go their separate ways. (KD)

In a response to pending water shortage issues, the government has approved an allocation of LE 10.7 billion for future water and sewage projects. After recent droughts in several cities, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif announced that LE 3.7 billion of those funds would be dedicated to building new water stations.

The issue has been escalating lately as local press report five percent of the country is deprived of access to clean water, leading not only to obvious health hazards but also giving rise to citizen action. Residents in the Kafr El-Sheikh governorate went on strike for 12 hours and blocked the roads to many villages in protest, calling for an immediate solution to their problems. Kafr El-Sheikh Governor Salah Salama promised a resolution by mid-2008 at the latest, noting that the massive water station currently under construction is expected to completely meet the area’s needs.

Until the water stations are completed, which could take between two to three years, officials are looking for temporary solutions intended to be in place within six months. Among the suggestions: digging wells, extending lines from current water stations and prompt establishment of smaller stations. To provide immediate relief to the areas most deprived of water, officials are considering delivering water to residential areas in shifts, giving dwellers access to water during set hours of the day. (NS)

Perhaps the least-favorite Ramadan tradition is price hikes, and this year is no exception. But there is good news: The government, in a recurring annual gesture, has promised to control the rising prices in preparation for the Holy Month.

A study conducted by Alexandria Chamber of Commerce indicated a significant 15 to 60 percent rise in local prices for basic household cooking commodities within the past year. The price of cooking oil rose to LE 5.50 from LE 4.75 and flour to LE 2.60 from LE 2. Even the ever-popular staple fuul (fava beans) jumped to LE 3.80 from LE 3. At more than the rate of inflation, these figures seem to suggest price gouging.

In preparation for the Holy Month, the market has been busy importing the commodities that go into making the season special. But prices are rising in the European Union as farm subsidies are phased out on ghee, cheese, butter and milk, and the Egyptian pound has been falling against the dollar and the euro. With the prices of imported goods on the rise, local prices are climbing even higher — despite the fact that all-in inflation had cooled again in July to 8 percent.

The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce study also notes a hefty increase in the international price of wheat to $340 per ton in July, up from $190 per ton in April. The price of fava beans has also gone up in the past year as well, to $450 per ton from $250 per ton.

In early August, President Hosni Mubarak announced that bread will remain subsidized and the price increase of basic commodities will be controlled. To minimize the effects of rising wheat prices on the customer, the government allocated LE 11 billion for bread subsidies. Presidential spokesperson Ambassador Soliman Awad told the press that the country currently has a six-month supply of wheat and that five countries are already bidding to supply the local market. Awad noted that Egypt’s wheat supply is in good standing, especially that the foreign currency reserve exceeds $28 billion.

Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohieldin told the media that there would be a 15 percent increase in the quantities of basic commodities and Ramadan necessities sold through 2,500 government outlets. Also in preparation for the Holy Month, 82,000 tons of meat are being imported and sold at LE 15 per kilogram. In addition, 165,000 tons of food staples are being offered at subsidized prices, translating into a 12 percent price drop in raisins, figs and dates. Subsidies on 15 basic commodities including fava beans, black beans, poultry, rice and sugar will bring prices down by 10 percent on average. (NS)

Last month, Bedouins destroyed a police checkpoint and hurled stones at police after thousands gathered to protest government plans to crack down on smuggling by demolishing houses on 150 meters of land that runs along the border of Gaza.

Auda Mohammed Arafat, a 15-year-old Bedouin, died after being shot twice by police, and dozens of others were wounded in the demonstration. In addition to expressing their ire at the demolition plan, the protestors demanded the release of the thousands of Bedouins who have been detained without charges. The Bedouins are also calling for registered ownership of their land, which is currently held by informal contracts.

“The Egyptian security, the military, they have been fighting [land] rights for the Bedouins,” says Diaa Rashwan, a researcher at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies. “The other problems, the detainment of criminals, the judgments of the court, all the other details stem from the main problem, which is giving the Bedouins of Sinai their right to have their land.”

But the government may have reason to be hesitant: the Bedouins are reportedly major players in the trafficking of people, arms, drugs and other goods between Gaza and Egypt. Dozens of smuggling tunnels are located along the 14-kilometer border, with entrances hidden in bedroom closets and animal pens. The United States and Israel have been putting pressure on Egypt to stop the trafficking after Hamas took control of Gaza in June. (MD)

Past months have spotlighted some of the most brutal social problems young girls face: rape, FGM, and now, suicide. Another tragedy, following the FGM operation-related death of Bodour Shaker and the controversy surrounding Hend Mohamed, Egypt’s youngest-recorded mother at age 11, Nada, an 11-year old girl from Belbeis hung herself after learning she was going to live with her mother. Nada’s parents had divorced and each remarried, and the young girl had been living with her stepmother and father. After her mother was granted custody by the court, according to Nada’s father, the young girl had threatened numerous times to take her life if sent to her mother’s home. Her father, who found Nada’s body in her room, also said the child was happy living with him and his new wife, a claim her mother disputes, saying the stepmother had been cruel to Nada. It is believed Nada was suffering from depression, in addition to shock as a result of her brother’s recent death from a heart attack. (HO)

The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) announced on July 30 that a new low-cost DSL pricing system would become effective as of September 1, offering a special introductory package that would allow low- to middle-income families to afford a dedicated DSL internet connection. The package offers a connection speed of 256 kb/s at a price of LE 45 per month.

The move is aimed to increase uptake of DSL internet among lower-income families, and to counter the trend of multiple households sharing a single connection. To lower the incentives for such sharing, the new LE 45 package has been limited by a 2 gigabyte download cap — a figure easily reached by a single user in the era of streaming video, voice over internet, film and music downloads and online gaming.

The limits placed on downloading attracted considerable criticism from internet users, and within days of the announcement, the website www.mesh-gayeb.com (approximate translation: it’s not enough) was set up as a focal point for internet users opposed to the changes. “Constraining hundreds of thousands of subscribers with low download limits, or forcing them back to the old ‘hourly’ system will not help in spreading high-speed internet use, and will have a negative impact on the information society in Egypt,” claims the site. An online petition calling for the decision to be reversed, also hosted by the site, had attracted 8,400 signatures as of mid-August. (TG)

Imprisoned Ghad Party founder and former Head Ayman Nour suffered a double blow when his petition for early release on grounds of poor health was rejected by the Administrative Court — an event which followed an hour after the Political Parties Committee’s (PPC, affiliated with the Shura Council) decision to officially recognize Nour’s rival, Moussa Mostafa Moussa, as Ghad Chairman on July 31. The PPC’s decision was based on a (Cairo) Southern Court ruling passed in Moussa’s favor, bringing to an end the bitter legal battle for control of the party that has raged since 2005.

The PPC’s decision was passed during US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s four-day visit to the Middle East, sending a strong message to Washington, where support for the jailed politician has been vocal. Rice expressed her disappointment over the Court’s rejection of Nour’s petition: “I know there is going to be an appeal and it is certainly the hope of the US that the appeal will come out favorably,” she was quoted in the local press.

Critics posit that the twin setback for Nour is a proxy challenge from the government in response to US pressures for electoral reform and transparency. While Moussa accuses Nour of being a US agent and attributes the rift between them, in part, to US intervention in party politics, critics call Moussa “Ghad’s Judas,” maintaining that he betrayed his former mentor in a power struggle orchestrated by the state to divide Ghad, and is now no more than a tool of the NDP.

Meanwhile, Nour’s wife, Gamila Ismail, says that the Ghad party legal advisers plan to contest the PPC’s decision, which she brands “illegal,” as Moussa was ousted from the Party in 2005 before he began the legal battle to appoint himself chairman. From his jail cell, local newspapers report, Nour has called for the establishment of a new party, called “The Free Alternative,” to be “twinned with Ghad.” While he offers that rather than introducing new competition for Ghad, “the two will work together to free society from corruption, oppression and despotism,” others maintain that focus should be kept on winning back control of the Ghad Party. (BA)

Scottish footballers had one hell of a week when they came down to Egypt for a round of friendly matches. The Aberdeen Dons — ranked third in their club games — had ten days of matches in Cairo. Winger Jamie Smith lost his luggage (surprising?) and then the team lost a match against mediocre Egyptian teams Arab Contractors and Al Aluminum, the first match 2-0 and the second 3-2. Two players were in a car accident, another two got red cards and will start a season with disciplinary points. The goalkeeper left the final match with an injured elbow. Their flight back to Aberdeen was cancelled due to a cracked windshield. The lost luggage is still at large, and although no one was physically harmed, players returned to Scotland with bruised egos and rather fragile psyches.

Meanwhile, Olympic football team player Mahmoud Abdul-Razeq has been suspended after three straight defeats in the All-Africa Games. The losses mean the Egyptian team did not qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In the final match of the season, Ahly managed to win the Egyptian Super Cup for the fourth consecutive year. The match, played on August 9, ended with a 1-1 tie with the Ismailia team. It then went into overtime penalties, ending with Ahly taking home the cup. (HH)

Two mentally challenged girls received their high school certificates after a tumultuous journey through the nation’s educational system. Ola and Shorouk passed the thanaweya Amma exams last month, after their mothers convinced the Ministry of Education to design exams that take into account their daughters’ disabilities.

The exam includes the same content as the regular tests but presented in an American System style (MCQ, true or false and matching). Shorouk’s mother says that when she first went to the Educational Authority she was met with little sympathy, but despite initial reluctance, the Educational Authority agreed to proctor the adapted exam.

The two students are looking forward to continuing their studies at one of three universities; Faculty of Commerce, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Literature. They will take modified exams in university similar to their thanaweya Amma exam. The case has raised the question of how to best accommodate students with special needs in the future. (HO)

It’s a jungle out there and not even the cages of the Giza Zoo are safe. If it wasn’t shocking enough when a 400-kilogram Moroccan female camel was murdered at the zoo in July, it happened again last month. The son of the slain camel was also killed — sending police on a search for the camel serial killer. The procedure used was identical to the first killing: the carcass left behind, while the ribs, shoulders and liver were missing — spurring rumors that whoever was behind these killings was performing some form of witchcraft. Police had little to work with until a taxi driver stepped forward with information that he had given the perpetrator, a butcher down on his luck, a lift to the zoo. The butcher reportedly left the meter running while he nipped into the zoo, swiftly did his thing and ran out with whatever meat he could carry. Police promptly arrested the criminal who confessed to his crimes and also revealed he had sold his booty (each camel is worth upwards of LE 5,000) for a paltry LE 400 each. At press time he was being charged; a court date has yet to be set.

In other animal news, a 22-year-old Saudi man was stopped at Cairo International Airport when security detected live snakes (including a cobra), baby crocodiles and chameleons in his carry-on luggage. He claimed that he did not know that transporting live reptiles was illegal and that he wanted them for scientific experiment in a Saudi university. The Saudi man went on his way, while the critters were confiscated and turned over to the Giza Zoo. (MH) et

COMPETED, Egypt’s entrants in the Imagine Cup, a worldwide competition for technology students, held in early August in Seoul, South Korea. Made up of AUC students Ahmed Fathalla and Tarek El-Gaaly and Cairo University students (and siblings) Noha and Mohamed Radwan, Egypt’s team was among the many others selected to travel to Korea for the finals. (TG)

VISITED, North Korean de facto head of state, Kim Jung-Nam. The president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly (Parliament) came to Egypt for the first time ever in July, for a two-day visit with President Hosni Mubarak. The official MENA news agency reported that the leaders discussed international affairs and bilateral relations between the two countries, which have good ties; Mubarak has visited North Korea several times. Earlier this summer, Egypt’s Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) signed a deal to invest $155 million in North Korea’s state-owned Sangwon Cement. (BA)

MOVED, Egypt’s diplomatic mission in the Palestinian Territories. In an apparent snub to Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip in June, Egypt transferred its mission to the Palestinian Authority to the West Bank. Egypt condemned the Islamist Hamas for crushing the more secular Fatah movement in Gaza, where Egypt has had a diplomatic mission for the last 12 years, since the signing of the Oslo Agreement. President Hosni Mubarak also urged Palestinians to support Fatah leader President Mahmoud Abbas. (BA)

RUMORED, an upcoming cabinet reshuffle. Although no official word has been released, several newspapers have speculated on an imminent cabinet reform after state-owned press criticized several ministers. The papers have targeted Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and his reported meetings with potential ministers in his summer retreat in Marina. Many say a reform’s timing would be strategic as National Democratic Party elections take place August 18 to September 10. (SSA)

SUED, Minister of Justice Mamdouh Marei. Some 650 judges, headed by the chairman of the Judges Club Yehia El-Dakroury, filed a court case against the minister Marei who reportedly insulted El-Dakroury, telling him, “you cry like [legendary Egyptian drama queen] Amina Rizk,” according to newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm. The plaintiffs are suing Marei over the ‘insults’ and ‘rude language’ and are seeking LE 10 million in compensation that they say will be used to reform the Judges Club. President Hosni Mubarak ordered an investigation into Marei’s actions after El-Dakroury demanded that the judges receive protection from Marei’s “obscene behavior.” (RH)

DECLARED HALAL, the vaccination against Poliomyelitis (commonly known as polio). Sheikh Al-Azhar Mohammed Sayed Tantawi has assured that the vaccine is halal after a Pakistani fatwa declared it otherwise. Upon learning that the developers of the vaccine were Jewish Americans, the Pakistanis immediately rejected the vaccine, alleging that it is all part of a conspiracy to reduce Muslims’ reproductive potential as it causes sterility and sexual incompetence. Though no scientific evidence backs the claim, the vaccine was also banned from Nigeria for 11 months on the same grounds, despite the World Health Organization’s warning that the country encompasses 80 percent of the world’s polio cases. In Egypt the government-run National Child Survival Program, implemented in conjunction with international and local NGOs, has all but eradicated polio, which in 1990 was still considered endemic in much of the country. (DY)

RESIGNED, Zamalek Club’s French football coach, Henri Michel. During his team’s pre-season training session camp in France, Michel suddenly announced his departure and is now replaced by Dutch Ruud Krol. Michel’s exit surprised his team, who learned of his decision on August 5, according to Zamalek spokesman Khaled Gabr as told to FilGoal.com. No official reason has been given for his sudden resignation, but speculations link it to the administrative board’s failure to consider his request to sell star players Hazem Imam, Tarek El Sayed and Abdel-Halim Ali. Eleven days after his resignation, Michel was hired back by the Moroccan national team, which he had guided to the World Cup quarterfinals in 1998. (SSA) et

Newsreel was written by Safaa Sameih Abdoun, Lulwa Bordcosh, Megan Detrie, Kate Durham, Tom Gara, Hassan Hassan, Marwa Helal, Riham El-Houshi, Ethar Kamal El-Katatney, Beige Luciano-Adams, Hoda Gamal Omran, Nadine El-Sayed, Dina Yehia