CAIRO – To commemorate the 79th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Cairo held a flag ceremony outside the Indonesian Embassy premises for the first time. This event occurred at the Madinat Al-Bu’uts Al-Islamiyah Stadium (dormitory for international students) at Al-Azhar University.
The ceremony began at 07.30 with a solemn atmosphere full of national spirit. The Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Lutfi Rauf, acted as the Ceremony Inspector and Major (Mar) Aji Purnomo, Assistant Defense Attache acted as the Ceremony Commander.
The Flag-Raising Troops came from Indonesian students at the Indonesian School in Cairo (SIC) and the Ma’had Al-Azhar secondary school. The theme of the 2024 Indonesian Independence Day commemoration is “New Archipelago, Advanced Indonesia.”
The choice of location at the Madinat Al-Bu’uts Al-Islamiyah Stadium has a special meaning, namely as a symbol of openness and inclusiveness, considering that this location is more prominent so that it can accommodate the Indonesian community in Egypt, which numbers more than 15,000 people.
“We chose the Madinat Al-Bu’uts Al-Islamiyah Stadium as the venue for this year’s ceremony with the hope that this event will be more accessible to all Indonesian citizens in Egypt. This place is not only a physical representation but also a symbol of our commitment to continue to get closer to the community,” said Ambassador Lutfi Rauf.
The event was held through cooperation between the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo and Madinat Al-Bu’uts Al-Islamiyah of Al-Azhar and Indonesian student organizations in Egypt. After the flag ceremony, the event continued with various people’s competitions, including cracker eating, tug of war, and several others. Previously, the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo held sports competitions such as badminton, bowling, sepak takraw, and table tennis.
The ceremony was attended by around a thousand Indonesian citizens from the Indonesian Students Association (PPMI), representatives of regional organizations, affiliated organizations from community organizations in Indonesia, officials and staff of the Indonesian Embassy, students at the Indonesian School in Cairo (SIC) and other guests, including a delegation from the National Scout Movement Headquarters who were on a working visit to Egypt.