Major General Raafat Mohamed Al-Hujairi, in an interview with the Egyptian newspaper "Al-Watan", gave details of 23 years he spent alongside former President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, where he lived with him the most difficult and easiest times, and loved him as a "father."
Major General Raafat Mohamed Al-Hujairi spent nearly 23 years near former President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, between guarding him or working as his own secretary, throughout this period he witnessed many of the positions and character of the late president.
Al-Hujairi says that he joined the guard at the Republican Palace in 1990, where he was chosen for this position based on competency reports, and from here began his career with Mubarak, which did not end until after his exit from service.
On the beginnings of the day with the former president, Al-Hujairi says: "The president's day begins early, as the president arrives at the Republican Palace at 8 am, starts receiving letters and responding to them, then meeting with ministers or government officials and foreign delegations," stressing that exercising was an essential element In the life of the President, "he must run two turns daily, and he loves squash."
As for the eating of the former president, Al-Hujairi explained that Mubarak prefers eating popular and light meals, “After practicing sports in the sports center, he is keen on eating bean sandwiches and the taste that he strongly prefers, or some types of fruit, such as tangerines or oranges.” He emphasized that he treated everyone Like his children: "He was sure that the soldiers ate before the officers. Whenever he asked himself for food on his travels inside or outside Egypt, he asked for the same amount for his officers and soldiers in the same amount that he prepared for himself, and times he would go to the soldiers to eat himself."
Al-Hujairi had many situations with Mubarak, the most difficult of which was on him on June 26, 1995, when Mubarak was subjected to an assassination attempt in Ethiopia, and he says: "Before traveling to the African summit, where security reports presented to Mubarak confirmed that the security situation there is unstable, but the president insisted You have to come by himself, and "upon arrival we asked Ethiopia to provide a bulletproof vehicle, but they said they could not provide it, so the guards brought the president's car, and an Egyptian driver for it."
Mubarak’s bodyguard continues that during the procession of the procession, “we were surprised to find a car standing in the procession’s path, and the guards confirmed that it was an ambush. Then I found one from the right holding an automatic weapon and shooting the president’s car, the distance between me and him is 15 meters. From 30 to 40 rounds, then 3 of my colleagues shot the two militants on the left, and we managed to eliminate them and return with President Salimin. "
Al-Hujairi explained that after returning from Ethiopia, Mubarak did not forget his brave men. He honored them, awarded him the Military Medal of Courage and gave the Special Guard crew a pilgrimage, "It was one of the most wonderful moments I could not forget in my life."