In the first Cabinet reshuffle since Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi el-Sissi took office in June, the Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim (who is in charge of police), was replaced by another police general, Magdy Abdel-Ghafar, formerly a leading figure in the National Security Apparatus. Egypt has been witnessing an acute security situation since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in summer 2013. Under Mohamed Ibrahim, police exercised an unmatched level of brutality that might have stifled protests, but did nothing to quell terrorism. He is reported to have been appointed security advisor to the PM.
Also changed were the Ministers of culture (now Abdel Wahed al-Nabawy, formerly head of the National Archive), Tourism, Agriculture and Land Cultivation, Communication and Information Technology, Education, Housing, Technical education and Training. The eight new ministers were sworn in earlier on Thursday. Perhaps activists can get more protection for archaeological areas and sites from the new guys. A few days ago damage to antiquities was added to terrorist offences in Law No. 8 on “the organization of terrorist entities.”
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