Mexican FM seeks answers in Cairo after army attack

Sep 21, 2015 Mexican Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu recently met with her Egyptian counterpart in Cairo.  During the visit, she demanded an investigation into an attack by Egypt’s army that left eight Mexican nationals dead.

Speaking at the Dar al Fouad hospital, Massieu said that her visit to Cairo was to bring the survivors and remains of the victims back to Mexico.

“I want to stress that for Mexico and all the people of Mexico this has been a terrible incident. This has been an unprecedented incident. We have lost the lives of eight Mexicans. We have six more Mexicans injured. We are accompanying them. We are giving them all the protection our embassy and consulate are capable of. We are here with their families so they can be with them and help them recover and transit through this process. And we are looking forward to helping them, as well as the Mexicans that lost their lives, return home,”

The foreign minister went on to demand a full investigation into the incidence.

“As a minister, as a Mexican, I share with Mexico the indignation, the consternation over these lamentable acts… We are also here to stress the demand of Mexico for a thorough, rapid, and deep investigation, which can clarify the events, and who is responsible, conforming both to Egyptian and international law,”

Prior to Massieu’s visit, the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri had penned an open letter to the Mexican people expressing his condolences and sympathies towards the Mexican people.

The Egyptian army is yet to release a statement acknowledging the incident. However, an earlier statement issued by the Interior Ministry said the attack resulted from a joint police-military operation in pursuit of nearby militants.