Italian, American and French embassies on Egyptian soil advise their citizens to restrict their movements as much as possible, but so far have not decided to evacuate.
Arnaud Venerandi, the second secretary of French Ambassador Jean Felix-Paganon, explained to Al-Masry Al-Youm that security measures have been taken to protect French residents: “We constantly update travel tips to advise travellers to cancel trips to Egypt if possible, and as for the French nationals in Egypt we advise them to restrict their movements as much as they can.”
9576 French nationals live in Egypt, including 5947 in Cairo. The number of French tourists currently visiting Egypt is estimated to be in the tens of thousands.
At the start of the demonstrations, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs Michelle Alliot-Marie mobilized the ministry, the diplomatic and consular devices to ensure the security of French nationals. The French Ambassador immediately activated an emergency cell and mobilized the consular officials in Sharm el-Sheikh, Luxor and Hurghada.
A hotline has been opened with the number (00 202) 35673344 at the French Consulate in Cairo to maintain permanent contact with French nationals residing in Egypt.
Four French journalists covering the demonstrations were arrested Friday morning and released the same day according to Bernard Valero, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson.
A French resident of the Cairo district of Maadi, Olivier Sullerot, said the Internet shut down for the past 48 hours has made it impossible to receive any security instructions. Lilia Saula, another French resident of Maadi, said that five days ago she received an email from the head of the Maadi Degla security islet, asking people if they still have the same home addresses and phones numbers. He also asked French residents to let him know of any French newcomers not registered with the Consulate, to make an exhaustive list of people in case of evacuation.
Saula says she is not panicking, but her anxiety reached a climax when all means of communication were shut down. “Some friends and I gathered in one flat spontaneously and tried to watch Al Jazeera to get the latest updates on the situation,” she says. Anxiety is rising in Maadi, and over the phone Sullerot mentioned the presence of group of men armed with sticks on his street. Today at 11 AM, the French Ambassador will gather the French community in the French School in Maadi to give them further instructions.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that no Italians had been involved in the clashes in Egypt so far. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Embassy in Cairo are tightly collaborating to monitor the situation. They also have a joint awareness campaign for Italian citizens living in Cairo and tourists currently in protest areas.
No evacuation plans have been considered so far because the current situation does not require it, according to the “Farnesina” (the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs). It suggests taking appropriate safety measures and avoiding non-necessary movements.
A small group of Italian tourists who came to Egypt for a conference before the start of the protests decided to leave their hotel close to Midan Tahrir and wait in a safer area of the city. According to the Italian Ministry, however, these are simply personal decisions. No official statements suggested Italian citizens leave Egypt, instead that they avoid crowded places and protest areas and to wait for the situation to become clearer. The emergency number is 0636225.
According to the American Embassy in Cairo, “US citizens in Egypt should remain in their residences or hotels until the situation stabilizes. Security forces may block off the area around the US Embassy during demonstrations, and US citizens should not attempt to come to the US Embassy or the Tahrir Square area at such times.” American citizens can also call a hotline: 27973300. However, so far the American Embassy is not considering evacuating American citizens in Cairo.
