British Embassy in Egypt resumes all services

The British Embassy released a statement early this morning to announce that it would resume all public services today. It had suspended its services on December 7, citing unspecified security concerns.

Its closure came in conjunction with the closure of the Canadian Embassy. Neither embassy gave any reason for their closure beyond “security concerns” for their staff members.

 “It is great news that, thanks to the vital cooperation of the Egyptian government, we have today restarted full public services at the British Embassy in Cairo,” said British Ambassador to Egypt John Casson.

“Britain and Egypt have strong bonds between our people, essential commercial links, and cooperate closely in a number of areas,” said Philip Hammond, Britain’s foreign secretary. “This same cooperation also sees thousands of British holiday-makers heading off for the Egyptian sun every Christmas and New Year.”

Neither Casson nor Hammond shed any further light on the reasons for the embassy’s temporary closure in their statements this morning.

On December 10, Canadian Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, also issued a public travel warning advising its citizens to delay all “non-essential travel” to Egypt due to the security situation.

The United States and Australia also issued travel warnings to their citizens, although both of their embassies remained open.

The British Consulate in Alexandria remained operational during the British Embassy’s closure, but all documentary services, which normally go through the embassy, were suspended. The embassy issued a statement warning its citizens not to come to the embassy and to apply for documents through other countries, such as Bahrain or Dubai.

Following the British and Canadian embassy closures there were reports that the Ministry of the Interior tightened security around both embassies, located in the upscale district of Garden City.

There were no attacks on either embassy in the days following their closures, although a fire broke out near the British Embassy on Friday. The fire started when the engine of a Central Security Forces vehicle stationed next to the embassy exploded.

Security forces quickly put the fire out and there was no lasting damage. Local media reported that the engine exploded because a conscript accidently set off a tear gas canister inside the vehicle.

There have been no reports on whether the Canadian Embassy will follow Britain’s example and also resume services.