Mexico still waiting for answers to Egypt tourist attack

Mexico still waiting for answers to Egypt tourist attack
Mexico's foreign ministry has criticised Egypt's handling of an investigation into the killing of eight Mexican tourists close to the Libyan border by the army.
2 min read
13 May, 2016
Paramedics evacuate survivors of the attack last year [Anadolu]
Mexico has voiced anger at Egypt's response to a military air strike that killed eight Mexican tourists in Egypt last year.

In a statement released on its website, the foreign ministry said that it had sent a letter to the Egyptian embassy to convey its "surprise and dissatisfaction" with the investigation.

It also spoke of its concern about the lack of accountability for the mistake and the failure to compensate the victims.

The incident occurred last September, when an Egyptian helicopter attacked a group of tourists gathered around a barbeque near a tourist site.

Eight Mexicans and four Egyptians were killed, with an additional six Mexican tourists injured in the attack.

An investigation conducted by Egyptian authorities concluded that the travel agency in charge of the tour were to blame, as they had not acquired the proper permits to take their clients to Egypt's western desert.

This claim was later rebuffed by the Egyptian General Tour Guides' Syndicate who confirmed that the group did have the necessary documentation.

Earlier this week, the New York Times reported that the Egyptian tourism federation would compensate the families of three of the victims, and is currently in negotiations with the relatives of others.

The Mexican foreign ministry, however, denied knowledge of some of these proceedings in its statement.