For the second time in 30 days the Ministry of Interior building in Cairo has been the subject of suspected arson.
The previous fire was blamed on police officers attempting to destroy files containing proof of human rights abuses and corruption.
Today’s fire coincided with a march by disgruntled police officers and ministry officials demanding a pay rise. Several thousand were involved in a peaceful protest, which included a march through Tahrir Square, despite there being an official ban on such protests in the square.
It was shortly after an official delegation went into the building, to discuss their demands that the fire broke out on the top floors of the building.
As yet explanation has been given for whom or what started the fire.
But a retired police officer speaking on Al Jazeera Arabic stated that senior figures in the old State Security, recently renamed national Security as part of a reform program, were desperate to prove that the country still needed their services, and had untaken a campaign of chaos to protect their positions. He also stated that within the police force a group had been founded, called ‘officer but honest’ to fight against the corruption and speed up the process of reform within Egyptian security forces.
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