Egypt in the grip of another Pharaoh

Ever since Morsi was over-thrown, his Muslim Brotherhood supporters have maintained daily street protests against the military beginning from 4 July 2013. Throughout the month of Ramadan, they had staged a sit-in which was joined everyday by people in their thousands. This had terrified the coupists; the continuous protest by the Brotherhood was a rejection […]

Ever since Morsi was over-thrown, his Muslim Brotherhood supporters have maintained daily street protests against the military beginning from 4 July 2013. Throughout the month of Ramadan, they had staged a sit-in which was joined everyday by people in their thousands. This had terrified the coupists; the continuous protest by the Brotherhood was a rejection of Morsi’s ouster and a direct challenge to the legitimacy of General Sisi and the interim government. As such, in an address at a military parade broadcast live by the state media on Wednesday, 24 July 2013, General Sisi passionately called on Tamarod and other anti-Morsi groups to come out en masse to show him support: “I ask … that next Friday all honest and trustworthy Egyptians must come out,” he said. “Why come out? They come out to give me the mandate and order that I confront violence and potential terrorism” (meaning Brotherhood demonstrators).
It was a dangerous gamble that further unleashed one sec-tion of the Egyptian populace against another. On one hand, the Egyptian authorities were asking the Brotherhood to leave the streets and, on the other, they were calling on anti-Brotherhood groups to come out on demonstration. Obviously, General Sisi, who thought he had the situation under control, was beginning to be overwhelmed by the mess he had created and so was desperately begging for popular support from the Egyptians opposed to Morsi.
The Brotherhood quickly denounced the call and remarked that: “The threat made by Sisi is a call for civil war. Widespread massacres will be carried out in the name of popular support [for the armed forces].” Accordingly, the Brotherhood called for counter demonstration on the same Friday, complete with details of designated routes for demonstrators.
On the 8th of July, security forces massacred 51 Brotherhood supporters outside a military compound in Cairo. On Saturday, 27 July 2013, 70 supporters of the Brotherhood were killed in clashes with Egyptian security forces. But more bloodshed was to follow, and so on Wednesday, 14 August 2013, the Egyptian interim government took the world by surprise when the country’s security forces forcibly removed thousands of Brotherhood protesters camped outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya Mosque and in Nahda Square. The aftermath of the operation reminded one of the 1989 scenes at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. The resultant violence was staggering and it sparked further unrest elsewhere in Egypt. The Egyptian officials claimed that 638 people were killed in the raid but the Brotherhood put the figure of the dead at 2000 with several thousands more injured. Again on 16 August 2013, the Brotherhood’s “day of anger” left 173 Egyptians dead and the killing continues.
Prior to this avoidable and bloody clash, attempts had been made by European and American negotiators for a peaceful end to the standoff, according to an American newspaper Huffington Post. Catherine Ashton, the EU representative, and John Kerry, the American Secretary of State, had worked on a plan that required the Egyptian government and Brotherhood to take some confidence building measures, including the release of detained political figures and the de-escalation of media war, and generally aim to ease tension. But no matter what they did, the role of Europe and America in Egyptian crisis is duplicitous because though they pose as peacemakers, both of them loathe the Brotherhood.
The plan had envisaged the “release of Saad El-Katatni, the chairman of the Brotherhood’s political party who was arrested during the military takeover in July, and Abou Elela Mady, the chairman of the Islamist al-Wasat Party who was locked up in the aftermath”. The Brotherhood leaders had agreed to the plan; but the military-backed government declined, having made up its mind to crush the protests.
General Sisi, increasingly perceived as the real face of the regime, has overshadowed Adly Mansour, the top judge he appointed as Egypt’s interim president to replace Morsi. Analysts say Gen Sisi appears to be developing a personal ambition to lead Egypt and to possibly stand for presidential election next year. Recall also that shortly after the Free Officers coup in 1952, General Abdel Nasser elbowed out General Neguib and assumed full powers himself. General Nasser also had a nasty confrontation with the Brotherhood prompting him to set up detention camps in the desert that saw over 20,000 of them held there.
It is sad that African countries have maintained a loud silence in the face of the massacre in Egypt. Yet, it is no surprise because other African rulers, faced with similar situation, will do worse than the Egyptian authorities. Nigeria which had earlier condemned the coup d’état against Mohammad Morsi has now kept quiet in the face of the murder and brutality against his supporters. Obviously, our country is now “better educated” on the situation in Egypt.
But the use of votes and peaceful demonstrations by citizens remain the most democratic means of securing shared interests. The use of bloody force against unarmed protesters in Egypt or anywhere else is criminal. The attack against Christian churches, businesses and citizens is unlawful. However, the Brotherhood in Egypt cannot be wished away; it is not just a political party, it is a movement spread across the boundaries of the entire Arab countries and General Sisi has the moral duty to act dispassionately and bring all the sides together to negotiate enduring peace and chart a useful future for his country, instead of hiding behind the Tamarod and Coptic protesters to sustain the massive division among his compatriots. Egypt is such an important country with massive influence in our own part of the world; and if things remain awry there, it is bound to have a negative effect on its neighbours. The crisis is spiralling and just yesterday 24 policemen were killed in an ambush in the lawless Sinai Peninsula. Continuous violence in Egypt will destroy the economy, torpedo the transition, heighten tension, instigate terrorism and ultimately provoke a civil war.
Egyptians need to unite in peace and concentrate their energy on a common enemy next door, Israel, which continues to dehumanise the Palestinians and steal their land. But if General Sisi continues in wrong-headed direction reminiscent of the Pharaoh, then the peace, progress and development of Egypt will be jeopardised.