The fact that while the US along with other western liberal democracies was busy brewing unnecessary criticism of the government, France was the only western power which understood the cultural context of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and thus, did not toe the standard line and has continued to foster closer ties with Egypt. Alstom, a French train manufacturer, revealed last week that it had won a $1 billion contract to upgrade Cairo’s oldest metro line. It follows a $2.7 billion contract inked by the same business in 2019 to design, build, and manage two monorail lines between the new capital and east Cairo, as well as one between 6th of October City and Giza.
With large and still increasing investments, France has gained a very important position in Egypt’s foreign policy calculations. And with Macron making it clear to not discuss or point out claims of human-rights groups against el-Sisi, he has brought Cairo to France’s side. The fact that this is happening while Biden administration has made sure that not even a shred of US influence is left in MENA region, goes a long way to show the importance of leadership in a country.
France-Egypt relations:
France and Macron have long considered Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi a good friend, and realising the threat of the Muslim Brotherhood, Paris does not force Cairo to follow the western model verbatim given the different socio-culture setup. Sisi had earlier made a major announcement, lifting the nationwide state of emergency which was in place for the last four years. This hints at how Egypt has come a long way in fighting terrorism and the Muslim Brotherhood that was overthrown in the year 2013.
The fact that France and Egypt are crucial economic allies, has never been a secret. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly called on French corporations to invest more in Egypt during a recent visit to Paris. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met with French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire in May, to discuss ways to increase France’s investment in Egypt.
In the Egyptian market, over 160 French firms operate in a number of industries. According to Egypt’s state-run media, France has invested more than $5.8 billion in Egypt, while the two countries’ yearly trade volume is $3.5 billion.
Further improving bonhomie between Paris and Cairo:
In 2019, France sold Egypt approximately $1 billion in armaments. Human Rights Watch (HRW) and 17 other organisations noted in a joint statement the following year that “French diplomacy has long pampered President Sisi’s violent repression of any kind of dissent at the highest levels.” The letter was released ahead of el-Sisi’s trip to France, but it had little impact. When pressed on the subject, Macron indicated that he would not force the issue of human rights, despite having previously referred to el-Sisi as a friend.
Macron also underlined his belief that el-Sisi is critical to regional stability, and that a stronger stance would be counterproductive in the fight against terrorism. “I will not condition matters of defence and economic cooperation on these disagreements over human rights,” Macron said.
Egypt: A major MENA powerhouse:
Egypt is centrally located in the Middle East, neighbouring Israel on the East and Libya on the West. To its North, Egypt shares a crucial Eastern Mediterranean coastline with countries like Israel, Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus. Therefore, Egypt becomes a central power, whose policies have repercussions on sensitive zones like Libya and the Gaza Strip.
Actions against Muslim Brotherhood:
Sisi follows two approaches to keep the Muslim Brotherhood in check:
- Targeting the Brotherhood’s line of command to erode the terrorist leader’s control over the organisation.
- Constructing an active narrative linking the Brotherhood to active Islamism.
In 2017, el-Sisi made a big move by declaring a nationwide state of emergency to combat terrorism. The western world and el-Sisi’s critics allege that the emergency was a means to stifle dissent. However, the fact remains that the emergency had to be imposed to counter a monster created by Obama’s interventionist policies.
A reliable partner for middle eastern and western allies:
Egypt presently has very good ties with the Arab nations too, and is also helping push back against Turkish belligerence. Egypt and Greece also signed a maritime agreement last year, designating an exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean between the two countries. Greek officials said that the EEZ deal with Egypt effectively nullified the accord between Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood of Libya, which was supposed to let Turkey gain control of Libya’s waters and dominate the southern Mediterranean Sea, to the detriment of European nations and Egypt.
Also read: Egypt has proved to be a Middle East power centre and the West must concede its position
Egypt also on its part, has made it a point to use all its influence and communicate Israel’s message to Hamas. Egypt has been discouraging Hamas from indulging in misadventures against Israel, and has been making it conscious of the risks involved in needling the Jewish nation. All these actions and efforts tell us, notwithstanding the criticism, Egypt stands as a comparatively progressive and mordernising country in a desert of instability, poverty and division. Cairo understands its privilaged position and as a result, tries to play the role of a responsible power.
Macron’s win is now Biden’s loss:
Progressives within the Democratic Party have been pushing Joe Biden to act tough on Egyptian ruler Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who they say has imprisoned tens of thousands of dissidents. Joe Biden readily follows the far-left agenda.
Also read: Looks like the US has made a choice between Turkey and Egypt. And it’s the obvious one
However, Egypt proved to be a tricky call for him to make. The United States has been cold-shouldering Egypt ever since Joe Biden took over as President. Parallelly, Egypt has been climbing up the ladder in the Middle East, at an enormous pace. Today, Egypt is recognised as one of the most mature powers of the region – and one which advocates the cessation of all forms of violence in countries of the Middle East. In such a situation, US is trying to change its stance and embrace Egypt once again.
The US and Egypt, on Monday, held largely symbolic talks aimed at bolstering bilateral cooperation. However, this comes far too late, as Macron has already succeeded in bringing Egypt to France’s side.