Sisis Trip to France

Co-authored with Cinzia Bianco (@Cinzia_Bianco), an advisor at Gulf State Analytics (@GulfStateAnalyt), a Washington, DC-based geopolitical risk consultancy.

LobeLog originally published this article on October 30, 2017

From October 23-26, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi made his first trip to Paris since Emmanuel Macron won Frances presidential election. Along with Sisis interest in securing greater investment and economic support from France, political and geopolitical matters were high on the agenda of the Egyptian president and the high-ranking Cairo officials that accompanied him. France is keen on strengthening its alliance with Egypt, a major purchaser of French weaponrydespite calls from human rights organizations to make financial and military support contingent on Egypt meeting certain human rights standards.

As a political heavyweight and a military power with relatively effective counter-terrorism capabilities, Egypt is a potential policeman in an area vulnerable to instability and the proliferation of terrorist organizations. In recent years, violent extremists have targeted both Egypt and France with scores of attacks. Both countries security apparatuses are highly concerned about fighters from the Islamic State (ISIS or IS) leaving Iraq and Syria for North Africa or Europe. The Egyptian Sinai, where a recent attack by a local offshoot of IS took place on October 16, is an area of mutual concern given the risks of it becoming more of a safe haven for terrorist groups.

Amid growing concerns about Egypts stability and the states capacity to effectively protect the country from terrorism, Sisi visited France to strengthen relations and further diversify Egypts web of security alliances. In 2015, when the United States was still wary of providing military aid to Sisi due to his regimes human rights record, France and Egypt signed major military agreements. One of these included 24 Rafale combat aircraft, a multi-mission frigate, and missiles for 65.2 billion euros, financed by a French loan and with an option for an additional 12 aircrafts, which both governments are reportedly considering at the present time. In addition, Egypt and France signed contracts worth 2 billion euros last year, including one for a military satellite jointly built by Airbus Defence and Space (a subsidiary of the Airbus Group) and Thales Alenia Space (a joint French-Italian venture).

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