Sisi says region’s youths could fall into extremism if problems remain unsolved

DEAD SEA — People of the region know more about the nature of their problems than those from outside with preconceived notions, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi said on Friday.

In a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting on the Middle East and North Africa, which started on Thursday on the shores of the Dead Sea, Sisi said views “from outside” cannot successfully pinpoint the region’s nature and problems.

He explained that a lack of justice and equal opportunity, poverty and unemployment fuel terrorism and radicalism, and the region cannot enjoy security and stability without investing in young people.

“Enhancing the role of the youth is no longer a luxury but an imperative, especially in societies where young people are a majority.”

The president stressed the need to create job opportunities for young people to channel their energy towards productive outcomes, warning at the same time that they will find their way to radical ideology if their longstanding problems are left unresolved. 

Extremism increases because of “desperation among the youth and regression of values of social justice and equal opportunities”, Sisi added, noting that public-private cooperation is required to engage young people positively and create jobs for them.

It is unacceptable for the region to suffer from poverty and unemployment despite its abundant wealth, he stressed, urging governments and the business sectors in the Middle East and North Africa to find creative solutions to longstanding problems. 

“Today’s challenges are of a transborder nature and require coordinated, international efforts... We are all in the same boat.”

Sisi concluded his speech with the announcement that the next WEF on the Middle East and North Africa will be held in Sharm El Sheikh in May 2016.