Egypt's Bedouins threaten armed conflict

SINAI, Egypt, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- A member of Egypt's Bedouin population says it may take up arms against the military junta if demands for more representation in the government are not met.

In a meeting on Friday, Bedouin leaders warned that armed conflict may be imminent, and accused the Supreme Council of Armed Forces of treason. They allege that parliamentary elections were designed in SCAF's favor and marginalize the Bedouin community.

Musad Abu Fajr, a prominent Bedouin blogger told Bikyamasr.com: "The military has committed treason against Egypt. They forgot how we assisted them against the Israelis in the 1973 war for Sinai."

Bedouin leader Ahmed Ayoub of the Northern Sinai Alliance of tribes told Bikyamasr.com that armed conflict should be seen as a last resort.

"We don't like to see violence become a means for our voices to be heard, but what we have been facing and what we are still facing means alternatives must be looked into," he said.

The Bedouin community runs and directs most tourism in Sinai along the Red Sea cost, however they have reportedly been the targets of government crackdowns in the last few years.