Pro-Government Militias
Mubarak's Thugs/Baltagiya (Egypt)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | yes |
| PGM ID Number: | 487 |
| Country: | Egypt |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1990 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | decade |
| Details of Formation: | The word “Baltagi” is Turkish origin but today it means “thugs” in Arabic. As it is a general word, it is used in various contexts. In this case, it describes thugs, hired and paid by the Mubarak regime and its party. The group’s structure was rather loose and it was used by the government from time to time when it needed them. Evidence suggests that these hired thugs were first used in the 1990s against Islamist groups. Later, there are reports where baltagiya are used against demonstrators, especially during elections. During the Arab Spring and the uprising against Mubarak in early 2011, the group was very active, trying to prevent the regime’s overthrow. |
| Date dissolved: | Feb. 11, 2011 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | Date of termination = Mubarak ousted from office; While there are still reports of baltagiya afterwards, it is unclear if members of the same group are meant. This PGM refers to hired thugs used by the Mubarak regime. |
| Termination Type(s): | change in government |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | unclear |
| Government Link(s): | political party; state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | National Democratic Party |
| Training and Equipment: | no |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | yes |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): | The PGM is not directly controlled by Mubarak but rather by his ruling party and the Interior Ministry. |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | security forces; mercenary; criminals |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Nationwide but most often in Cairo |
| Force Strength: | [100000, 1500000] |
| Target(s): | civilians; unarmed political opposition, government critics; journalists |
| Purpose(s): | intimidation of civilians; intimidate political opposition |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | According to sources, the group might have up to 1.5 million members. It is unclear how many of these are actually armed. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The militia was created by Mubarak’s government to outsource accountability for the use of violence against protesters and regime critics. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | deniability of violence |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The militia used violence against protesters and regime critics. This behavior escalated in the final stages of Mubarak’s regime when the PGM used excessive force to suppress anti-government protests. Due to the widespread rejection of the group among the population, anti-government resentments increased and eventually led to the fall of Mubarak’s regime in 2011. (Ghannam 2012, 33-35) |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | beating; sexual violence |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons for Membership: | Baltagiyya’s were described as selfish and focused on personal enrichment, instead of ideological commitment or loyalty to the community. (Ghannam 2012, 34). |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | The group had between 100,000 and 1,500,000 members. However, many of these members worked as informants and did not carry out attacks. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Baltagiyya’s carried a “singa” which is a long knife which the militia is closely associated with. In addition, they carried other types of swords and firearms. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The militia cooperated with the police during its operations. Sources report that the militia became more organized during the anti-government protests in 2011, but there is no information on the specific internal structures. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.