Egyptian state-owned media are keeping silent regarding the lives of more than 40 Egyptian citizens by Houthis in Yemen.
None of the Egypt’s media touched the unknown fate of 49 Egyptians who have been kidnapped since last month in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a.
The Egyptian nationals have been kidnapped by the by Houthi rebels according to the testimonies of the families of the kidnapped Egyptians to Egypt’s foreign ministry. However, the Egyptian authorities refuted the “allegations”.
Moreover, the Egyptian cabinet knows nothing about the developments of the Egyptians, kidnapped in Yemen
Two days ago, Ashraf Sultan the cabinet’s spokesperson said that he doesn’t know the latest developments about the Egyptians, kidnapped by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In a press statement, Sultan said that “The whole matter is in the hand of the Foreign Ministry, adding that the (foreign ministry) is the only entity that has the whole details about the crisis and its latest developments precisely.
This week, dozens of families threatened to organize several protests in front of the foreign ministry and the council of ministries to put pressure on the state officials to identify and explore the detention places of their relatives working in Yemen.
Last month, several families have sent distress calls to the presidency on the kidnapping of their sons by the Houthi rebels.
Ahmed al-Deeb, the brother of al-Sayed al Deeb, one of the Egyptians kidnapped in Yemen, said that his brother and his colleagues Mohamed Sobhy and Ayman Abd al-Wahab were kidnapped on November 21 by the Houthis at El-Hedida, northern Yemen.
Ahmed said that although his brother has verified passport and papers, and he has been working there for seven years, but he was kidnapped without any reason.
Al-Deeb unveiled that the kidnapped families went to the foreign ministry and sent distress calls to the presidency and the military spokesperson but they received no response.
It is noteworthy that Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi during his official visit to Emirates to attend UAE National Day, but no media outlets reported that al-Sisi has opened the issue of the kidnapped Egyptians with Yemen’s President.
Egypt’s foreign ministry says negotiations are ongoing
On December 6, Egypt’s foreign ministry said at last that it is still conducting negotiations to release the Egyptian workers in Yemen.
The ministry said that the 49 Egyptians worked in different sectors in Yemen and had lived in the city of El Hedida several years ago, but it has refuted the allegations that they were kidnapped by the Houthis.
In the same context, the Foreign Ministry’s official spokesperson noted that the Egyptian ambassador in Yemen Youssef El Sharqwai has been holding talks with Yemeni officials, under order of the ministry, to secure the release of all 49 Egyptians, reported by Daily News Egypt.
The statement reads, “The Egyptian ambassador in Yemen has contacted the Yemeni prime minister, Yemeni foreign minister and head of the Yemeni parliament, in addition to other Yemeni officials and public figures to facilitate their release.”
According to the statement the release had been scheduled for Saturday; “however, recent erroneous media reports have had a negative impact on negotiations.”
Moreover, the ministry has called on Egyptian media outlets to allow them to do their jobs in order to bring a swift resolution to this issue.
Reports on Iranian mediation to release the kidnapped Egyptians
Some Gulf media reports said that some close sources to the Houthi rebels in Sana’a unveiled that the Houthis agreed on releasing the 49 Egyptian workers who were kidnapped in El-Hedida city after an Iranian mediation, and they were transported to a private prison at (bab al-Yemen) in Sana’a. However, the news hasn’t been confirmed yet by the Egyptian authorities.
