British Prime Minister David Cameron became the first world leader to visit Egypt after protests ousted President Hosni Mubarak. Cameron's arrival came shortly after a visit by US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns, who started a visit to Egypt in which he will meet with the army-led interim government as well as political groups.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton was also due to arrive in Egypt to discuss the post-Mubarak era, in which the army is running the country while setting up free elections to deliver civilian rule and democracy. The visit, hastily added to the start of a planned tour of the Middle East, was conducted amid tight security.
A Call for Genuine Transition
Cameron told officials in Cairo he wants to help ensure a genuine transition to civilian rule takes place. Speaking en route to Cairo, Cameron said he would be asking the country's rulers to ensure there was a "genuine transition" to civilian rule. "It is important going to Egypt first," he said.
"This is a moment of great opportunity for Egypt. It is a great opportunity for us to go and talk to those currently running Egypt to make sure this really is a genuine transition from military rule to civilian law and to see what countries like Britain and others in Europe can do to help." He did not meet with members of the long-banned Muslim Brotherhood.
Cameron is due to meet Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, Mubarak's minister of defence, who is the head of the supreme council of the armed forces. Cameron is also due to meet Ahmed Shafik - another member of the military council who was appointed as prime minister by Mubarak at the end of January in response to the protests, which were focused around Cairo's Tahrir Square - and opposition figures.
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He will call for the lifting of the emergency law imposed by Mubarak in 1981 in the wake of the assassination of his predecessor, Anwar Sadat and urge that opposition leaders are given cabinet seats. He will also raise the authorities' decision to allow two Iranian warships to travel up the Suez Canal. Mubarak always denied such passage to the Iranians.
Downing Street wants to show there are other credible leaders of the opposition to ensure the military cannot revive Mubarak's 30-year claim that Egypt faced a choice between rule by emergency law or the Muslim Brotherhood. Cameron said: "It is good to be able ... to meet some of the people involved in the protests because what is so refreshing about what has been happening is that this is not an Islamist revolt, it is not extremists."
"It is people who want to have basic freedoms that we take for granted in the UK." "I think this is a great opportunity to talk to those currently running Egypt to make sure this really is a genuine transition from military rule to civilian rule,” Cameron said before arriving in Cairo.
Focus on Political Reform and Economic Assistance
Cameron will say that Britain will help Egypt through the Foreign Office Arab Partnership Fund and other economic assistance. He will add that the EU should redirect its large funds more effectively to Egypt.
Downing Street says Cameron's tour of the Middle East shows Britain does not have a "one-legged foreign policy" focused solely on trade. Its three main priorities are:
- Encouraging political reforms, though these should happen in different ways in separate countries.
- Pushing UK commercial interests.
- Addressing security issues which are common to the Middle East and to Britain.
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Cameron will say that the protests across the Arab world are of immense significance because they are driven by economic and political demands and do not represent Islamist fundamentalism. The prime minister will say it is in Britain's national interests to develop commercial links with one of the fastest-growing areas in the world.
Cameron expects most of the Middle Eastern countries he will be visiting to share his concerns about Iran. Britain believes that the twin-track approach to dealing with Iran's nuclear ambitions - negotiations and sanctions - is failing to make much headway, and Cameron expects to receive support for tightening sanctions.
Cameron will say achieving his three broad goals is the best way of ensuring long-term stability in the region.
Human Rights Concerns
Since the ousting of President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, tens of thousands of people in Egypt have been detained, charged or tried in a sweeping crackdown on dissent that has targeted alleged supporters of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group, as well as journalists, human rights activists and other perceived government opponents.
| Name | Age | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Mahmoud | 19 | Detained since January 2014 for wearing a t-shirt with a “Nation Without Torture” logo following a protest. |
| Israa | 23 | Disabled, arrested by security forces on 1 June. Faces accusations of “belonging to a banned group” and “broadcasting false news”. |
UK officials should also urge Egypt to repeal laws introduced in the name of restoring “stability and security”, but which in practice have eroded the rule of law in Egypt and facilitated gross human rights violations. The deaths of hundreds of protesters and others since July 2013 at the hands of the Egyptian security forces should also be an issue of deepest concern to UK officials.
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Amnesty has documented a repeated pattern of excessive and unnecessary force by Egypt’s security forces. Egypt does face a security threat, and the authorities have claimed that hundreds of members of the security forces have died in attacks by armed groups, with judicial officials also targeted.
“There have been horrifying mass death sentences since President al-Sisi came to power - some after grossly unfair trials - and thousands have been detained in an attempt to quash all opposition. “Are we going to see a more principled approach from Mr Cameron when it comes to Mr al-Sisi’s visit?”
In 2013, the scale of the violence in Egypt prompted EU foreign ministers to suspend export licences to Egypt for any equipment which might be used for “internal repression”.
The UK faced pressure over the weekend when it was forced to revoke arms export licences to Bahrain and Libya amid fears that British arms could have been used in the violent crackdown on protesters. Cameron outlined the approach he will take this week in a telephone call on Sunday with the King of Bahrain.
A Downing Street spokesman said: "The prime minister stressed the importance of responding to peaceful protest through reform, not repression.
Egypt after Mubarak: Challenges and Opportunities in Egyptian Politics part 3 of 5
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