[kictanet] Security Situation in Egypt

[waudo siganga]

Dear Colleagues- As I do not have another way to reach all the
colleagues at the IGF I wish to use the Kictanet to bring them to
speed regarding security situation as per below, following
football match last weekend and tomorrow's play-off. Some Kenya's
arriving thru Cairo on Sunday encountered problems such as
traffic jams and unrully crowds so be on the watch out especially
those travelling tomorrow  (Wednesday)-

Security Situation Updates


Egypt
Clashes follow international football match in Cairo; further
unrest possible prior to, after play-off in Sudan on 18 November
Created: November 16, 2009 18:25 GMT
Updated: November 17, 2009 00:03 GMT
More than 30 people, including 20 Algerian nationals, on 14
November were injured during unrest in the capital Cairo and the
nearby city of Giza (Giza governorate) following the national
football (soccer) team's 2-0 victory over Algeria in a crucial
qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup tournament. Egyptian
supporters reportedly threw stones at their Algerian counterparts
as they left the match venue, Cairo's International Stadium,
triggering disturbances. The two teams will meet again in a
play-off fixture in the neutral city of Omdurman (Sudan) on 18
November to determine qualification for the World Cup finals. The
play-off became necessary after the two teams finished level on
points and goal difference in Group C of the African qualifying
zone.
Comment and Analysis
There is a traditional sporting rivalry between the two
countries, and additional security personnel are also likely to
be deployed in the city centre in areas where supporters may
congregate. Further unrest involving football supporters in Cairo
and other major urban centres is possible before and after the
forthcoming play-off; the potential for unrest will rise in the
event of an Egyptian defeat in the fixture. In the context of
such an outcome, there is a possibility that angry supporters may
seek to target Algerian nationals. The security forces are likely
to employ robust crowd-control measures such as baton charges and
tear gas in the event of unrest, posing incidental risks to
bystanders.
Prior to the match, five members of the Algerian team on 12
November were reportedly injured when their team bus was attacked
by stone-throwing Egyptian football supporters while en route
from Cairo International Airport (CAI) to a hotel in the city.
Egypt's subsequent victory in the match prompted disturbances in
the Algerian capital Algiers; thousands of people on 15 November
attended a rally in support of the national football team which
subsequently turned violent, with participants ransacking the
premises of Egyptian-owned businesses, including an office of the
national carrier EgyptAir. The fixture's outcome also sparked off
unrest in the port city of Marseilles (France), when youths of
Algerian extraction threw stones at the police, vandalised shops
and set fire to boats in the port after Egypt scored a late
second goal, paving the way for the play-off. Eight people were
detained by the police.
Violent scenes have previously marred football matches between
the two countries, and have contributed to a rivalry that has
spanned several decades. Most notoriously, scuffles in November
1989 broke out between rival supporters across Cairo in the
aftermath of a qualifying match for the 1990 World Cup, and
violence during a post-match reception resulted in the Egyptian
team doctor sustaining a severe eye injury.
Travel Advice
*       Exercise vigilance at locations likely to be crowded with
football fans, such as bars and restaurants.
*       Avoid all demonstrations to mitigate the risk of
incidental exposure to violence.



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