As Palestinians continue to suffer at the hands of Israel's genocidal war against Gaza, civilians from around the world are taking matters into their own hands. In North Africa, the Al-Soumoud Convoy (Arabic for "steadfast resistance") aims to travel from Algeria through Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt to Rafah to deliver aid.

Buses and private cars full of hopeful adults of all ages left Tunis on Monday, June 9, expecting to arrive at the Egyptian border with Gaza after June 12, picking up volunteers along the way. Their courage is admirable, and many around the world are relieved that, finally, someone is taking action.

"At best, we hope the Al-Soumoud convoy helps the global effort to reopen the Rafah crossing to aid and amplify the call to break the siege and end the genocide. It's about breaking the complicity of governments, including pro-Zionist Arab regimes, but also the silence of international institutions," Algerian researcher and activist Raouf Farrah tells OkayAfrica.

Farrah is participating as an individual activist, helping by gathering supplies and transporting materials. "We want this action to reignite popular mobilization across borders and force governments to reckon with their inaction," he continues. "At the very least, the convoy sends a clear message: from Tunis to Algiers to Libya, Egypt, and Morocco, people are rising in solidarity with Gaza."

The majority of North Africans have been in solidarity with Palestinians for decades, but their governments have resorted to performative criticism of Israel's occupation. In Egypt, dozens of pro-Palestinian Egyptians, including minors, have been arrested for practicing solidarity; at least 150 currently remain in pretrial detention facing charges of terrorism.

This makes North Africa a complex and unlikely place for such a show of civilian force post-2011. Especially in Egypt, many doubt that the Al-Soumoud Convoy will be allowed to cross the highly militarized Sinai Peninsula.

The situation is complicated by the Global March to Gaza, comprising delegations from over 50 countries that plan to walk from Al-Arish to Rafah on June 13. The organization is separate but in coordination with the convoy. This is not the first time a delegation has tried to reach Rafah; the Egyptian government thwarted efforts in 2023.

"It is a source of disappointment and embarrassment for all Egyptians that our government is highly unlikely to allow either the Tunisian or global marches to make their way to Rafah. The Egyptian government has since the beginning of the genocidal war in Gaza restricted access by Egyptian citizens and Egyptian and foreign media to come even close to the area, except for highly choreographed assemblies by its ardent supporters and pro-government media," Hossam Bahgat, Executive Director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, tells OkayAfrica.

The Al-Soumoud convoy is aware of the difficult political situation on the ground. Farrah shares, "We expect obstacles — from political obstruction to tight control and possibly limited repression, as well as logistical challenges, especially at borders with Egypt. But the will is firm. This convoy is a rejection of indifference and an act of dignity from below."

However, many Egyptians and Palestinians were concerned that the march volunteers lacked understanding of the immediate danger that comes with any sort of political action in Egypt. "We have built access to medical structures for displaced Palestinians with immense care, caution, and trust over more than a year and a half. These networks are fragile. They can disappear overnight if outside actors disrupt the political balance we've been carefully navigating," Lucy Mahfouz, a local aid worker who uses an alias for security reasons, tells OkayAfrica.

She continues, "People live here. Palestinians live here, and they are already being watched, harassed, denied access to care, or worse. What is framed as a symbolic gesture or a media action by international activists could have devastating, long-term consequences for them."

American author and human rights advocate Hannah Claire Smith is determined to join the march. "After 20 months of a live-streamed genocide, it's clear that educating people online about the ongoing atrocities isn't enough," she says. "It's time to escalate our advocacy and demand more from the international community."

Irish podcaster Danielle Cooper also flew to Cairo. "We want to amplify the voice of the global anti-genocide community and put pressure on governments who aren't doing anything," she says. "I'm not anticipating many obstacles; we aim to protest peacefully. The only challenges we may face are trekking through the Sinai desert in the blistering heat, which is a drop in the ocean compared to what the people of Palestine are facing every day."

"We have sent letters from the different international delegations to the Egyptian embassies. Parliamentarians have sent letters on our behalf to the Egyptian government. We have worked on our discourse, content of communication with the press, and chart of ethics, and I feel we have taken all the necessary steps to guarantee permission," says Saif Abukeshek, chair of the international committee of the Global March to Gaza. "We see Egypt as part of the solution, and we count on their support to fulfill our mission and reach the border."

The willingness of these volunteers, who are said to be thousands, to set aside their daily lives and physically show up in this moment of moral urgency should be an inspiration and a reminder for all of us that we must do better. Everyone has a role to play, and nobody will be free until all of us are free.

At the same time, doing better means listening to those on the ground and considering the long-term consequences and practicality of political action. In an ideal world, the convoy and march join forces and walk to Rafah, supported by the Egyptian government, to open a humanitarian corridor and finally end the siege. The reality, however, looks different.

On Wednesday, June 11, the Egyptian government published a statement reaffirming the regulations governing visits by foreign delegations to areas adjacent to the Gaza Strip, including Al-Arish and the Rafah border crossing.

As of today, June 12, Cairo authorities have detained and deported dozens of foreign nationals arriving in Egypt for the Global March to Gaza. There are reports of hotel raids in central Cairo, with several activists arrested. One organiser told news agency AFP that more than 200 foreign citizens had been detained at the Cairo airport since Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Al-Soumoud convoy has not yet been granted permission to traverse Eastern Libya, which is under the control of General Khalifa Haftar, whose government is closely aligned with the Egyptian President.

None of this comes as a surprise to Egyptians.

"At the very least, we hope to show the people of Gaza they are not alone and to force the international community to reckon with its complicity," says Smith. "Even if governments don't act immediately, we believe mass mobilization can shift what's politically possible."

To this, Mahfouz says, "If a regime that has brutally repressed any form of Palestinian solidarity is suddenly letting foreign nationals approach the border and post about it freely, you should ask: who is benefiting from this? Because it is clearly not the Palestinians living here. If anything, this kind of action allows the regime to posture while cracking down even harder on those who stay behind. It risks turning solidarity into a stage, while those living under daily surveillance pay the price."

This story was originally posted June 10, 2025 at 3:52 p.m. and has been updated.

June 12, 10:19 a.m. Updated to include updates of participant deportations by the Egyptian government.

It is common knowledge in the Arab world that Egyptians tend to overstate their cultural achievements. They successfully exported their films and music to the rest of the region, asserting themselves as an artistic hub for decades (and sometimes forgetting that they are not the only ones creating good art).

Growing up with Ramadan mosalsalat, other Arabic speakers usually switch to the Egyptian dialect when talking with an Egyptian because most Egyptians only understand their own dialect. As a result, there is a certain resentment when Egyptians dominate cultural spheres.

This is to say that I am aware of how controversially Egyptian April’s list of best North African songs is. But denying that the catchiest, most interesting music came out of Egypt this month would be a lie. So, at the risk of being part of the Egypt-centric problem, here are this month’s song recommendations.

Carly Gibert, Lella Fadda - “Everything new [remix]” (Egypt, Spain)

Egypt’s most-streamed female rapper Lella Fadda jumps on a remix of Spanish singer Carly Gibert’s “Everything New,” rapping in Arabic and Italian over the track’s industrial beat. With its ethereal back vocals and harp-like synths, “Everything New” is at once a hopeful spring song and a badass rap collaboration.

Nadah El Shazly - “Kaabi Aali” (Egypt)

“Kaabi Aali” teases the upcoming second album of Egyptian-born, Montreal-based producer, vocalist, and composer Nadah El Shazly, titled Laini Tani, set for release on June 6. As with her previous offerings, El Shazly creates a hypnotic, multi-layered soundscape, fusing experimental electronics and Egyptian rhythms over which she delivers haunting vocals. “This song takes place amidst Cairo’s neon green city lights and should definitely be listened to at high volume in the car,” says El Shazly.

Wegz, Tayc - “Girlfriend” (Egypt, France, Cameroon)

Rapper Wegz teams up with French Cameroonian R&B singer Tayc for Afro-R&B track “Girlfriend,” demonstrating Wegz’ versatility; the single dropped only a few days after a nostalgic return to his 2019 trap roots on “ElWa3d.” While the track is an interesting, unusual conversation between artists from different worlds, I would have loved Wegz to do a dance scene like Tayc for real revolutionary appeal.

Mazin Hamid, Eiman Yousif - “Ya Jamal Alneel” (Sudan)

Sudanese musician and actor Eiman Yousif, best known for her role in Goodbye Julia, collaborates with Mazin Hamid for “Ya Jamal Alneel,” an ode to the beauty of the River Nile. Over simple guitar and melodica chords, this heartfelt duet remembers Khartoum as the place where the White and the Blue Nile converge, invoking memories of joyful afternoons at the riverbank before the outbreak of war.

Dallo - “Ghara (Remastered)” (Egypt)

Cairo-born electronic music producer Dallo returns with “Ghara (Remastered),” a hypnotic journey that links sufi chants with electronic experimentation and plays with the voice as a soundscape.

Warchieff, Freek, Ma-Beyn, The Hws, TUFF - “Mahzla” (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Palestine)

On “Mahzla,” Saudi producer Warchieff brings together a powerful group of up-and-coming rappers from North Africa and the Levant. The track features Freek, Ma-Beyn, The Hws, and TUFF, blending their high-energy bars and various Arabic dialects with hard-hitting trap beats and an experimental soundscape built on an unsettling bassline.

DJ Habibeats, Felukah - “Hayati” (Egypt, Palestine, US)

Taking us back to the early 2000s, Palestinian American DJ Habibeats and Egyptian rapper and singer Felukah throw a garage party on “Hayati,” a dance track that makes me yearn for summer. Over Habibeats’ trap rhythms and R&B textures, Felukah delivers bilingual Arabic and English vocals that explore diasporic identity, a theme relevant to both US-based artists. The mood switch halfway through the track makes me want to hit repeat every time it ends.

Marwan Moussa - “Bosakber” (Egypt)

Egyptian German rapper Marwan Moussa, the country’s third most streamed rapper, is preparing to release his most personal album. The album is split into five parts, each section tracing the stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—after the loss of his mother. “Bosakber” is the second preview single, a fusion of hip-hop beats, sufi elements, oud arrangements, and shaabi that narrates the experience of heartbreak, trust issues, and spiraling mental chaos. The music video is a testament to Moussa’s love for film, which he studied in Rome.

Obie - “AS7a” (Sudan)

Obie is a Sudanese teenager with a promising flow. On his latest track, “AS7A,” he reintroduces himself to the scene after releasing his Supernova EP last year, and I am intrigued. Mixing fast, playful beats inspired by Afrobeats and Amapiano, paired with his effortless, assertive bars, Obie sounds older than he really is.