The problem circling the square

New government must take steps to end civil unrest

Tahrir Square in the center of Cairo has become a symbol of Egypt's democratization since the outburst of the so-called Arab Spring movement 30 months ago.

Mass demonstrations in the square then resulted in triumph with the ousting of Hosni Mubarak after 30 years in power.

However, more violent demonstrations have returned to the square this summer. Although bonfires have again been lit, there is nothing to celebrate as supporters of the elected and overthrown president - Mohamed Morsi from the Muslim Brotherhood - and those of the Egyptian army fight it out.

Where will it all lead? When will it all end?

When I was in Egypt to report on the first anniversary of the original uprising, I witnessed two distinct worlds in the same place - a depicted turbulence zone and a calm but struggling community.

Beneath Tahrir Square full of protesters, run two subway lines, carrying other Egyptians to work, school and market. It seemed what was happening above had nothing to do with them.

When I was in Giza, home of the great pyramids, reporting on the impact of the troubles on Egyptian tourism, I was surrounded at one point by angry camel herdsmen. They said the information the world received from the media was wrong, that the conflict was only in Tahrir Square, and that Egypt was still a safe place to visit.

"We used to have business at 4:00 am for sunrise in the desert," one of them shouted. "But now I don't have my first customer until 10:00 am. My whole family is suffering because of incomplete reporting about Egypt."

Indeed, tourism, one of the main economic pillars of the country, shrank by almost a third in the first year after Mubarak was ousted, and has continued to contract after the general elections and Morsi's appointment. The economy has stagnated.

Chinese investors at first were confident about the future of the country, believing it was time to reshuffle political powers and reorganize law and order.

They banked on the "profound civilization history of the country" and the relatively safe environment beyond Tahrir Square, said one Chinese businessman who runs a motorbike assembly factory.

Unfortunately, the conflict spread and economy plunged to a point where the Egyptian pound depreciated nearly 30 percent within a year. All contracts signed in this currency were so badly hit that Chinese businesses started reconsidering their investment in Egypt.

A Chinese oil company said it had even been stockpiling food and drinking water to ensure survival in an extreme security situation for at least a month.

Another, a shoe manufacturer, said his business has stopped due to the increase in the unrest and had no idea how long it would last.

A new cabinet has eventually been formed, after much fighting and bloodshed, and all hope this will bring an end to the mess.

According to The Economist, in the year since Morsi was elected, "inflation is rising and unemployment among those under 24 is more than 40 percent", and "queues for petrol have lengthened, farmers are often not being paid for their wheat, crime has soared".

It is perhaps too naive to expect a new government to stop mass unrest within a year, especially in such a highly polarized nation. The coup against Morsi was about preventing the country becoming militantly Islamic and threatening outsiders' interests and security.

But after the violence and destruction of the past few weeks, a new leader and cabinet are now in place, and the country cannot afford any more bloodshed.

Let us hope the chaos and killings stop and they are given more time to bring the two worlds of the square and the subway peacefully together.

The author is China Daily's correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 07/19/2013 page11)