Military campaign in Sinai must be complemented with a development program

Egypt’s military offensive in Sinai must be complemented with a far-reaching development campaign to benefit the peninsula’s population, says Al Masry Al Youm’s Ahmed El Sawy. While a military strategy is necessary to address the militant insurgency, the state must enlist the help of civil society to address the needs of the peninsula’s inhabitants and demarginalize the local population. This is particularly important since these citizens are aiding the Armed Forces’ efforts by providing intelligence, without which the military strategy would not be as effective, El Sawy points out.