The United States (US) is withholding $130 million of $300 million in military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns, the State Department said on Tuesday. However, releasing the rest of the funds has attracted widespread criticism from human rights organisations and activists.
The State Department said that while the Biden administration would restrict almost half of the total assistance, it would still allow $170 million in military financing for Egypt. It claimed that such a move would ensure that Egypt is meeting its human rights commitments and, at the same time, will preserve the US-Egypt security alliance, which is critical for Washington to maintain stability in the Middle East.
As per federal law, the US administration should ensure the human rights conditions placed on foreign assistance by Congress, and the Secretary of State must certify that the recipient country is meeting the conditions. In this case, Secretary of State Antony Blinken could not certify that Egypt was complying but added that good ties between Washington and Cairo are critical in meeting national security interests.
Blinken’s decision to withhold aid to Egypt is a break from his predecessors’ policy of overriding Congressional approval of assistance to Egypt. “Our bilateral relationship with Egypt will be stronger, and America’s interests will be better served, through continued US engagement to advance our national security interests, including addressing our human rights concerns,” the State Department said.
Blinken’s move is also consistent with the Biden administration’s aim of prioritising human rights in US foreign policy. Before taking office, Biden vowed to strengthen the US’ moral leadership globally by “revitalising our national commitment to advancing human rights and democracy around the world.”
Under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Egypt has seen the heaviest crackdown on dissent in its modern history. According to the ‘Freedom in the World 2021’ report by Freedom House, Egypt under El-Sisi is “not free.” It stated that political opposition in Egypt is “virtually non-existent” as expressions of dissent are criminalised. Civil liberties, including freedom of the press and assembly, are heavily restricted, and there is widespread discrimination against women, LGBT+ people, and other groups.
Against this backdrop, the US’ decision to release more than half of the funds to Egypt has been met with a firestorm of criticism from human rights organisations, activists, and even lawmakers. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said, “Continuing our security relationship with Egypt, with only minor changes, sends the wrong message.” “This was a chance to send a strong message about America’s commitment to human rights and democracy, with little cost to our security, and we fell short,” he added.
This is a mistake. Egypt has 60,000 political prisoners. They torture political dissidents.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) September 14, 2021
The Administration should have held back the full $300m. This half measure sends a muddled message about our commitment to human rights and democracy. https://t.co/MqpnsGfRKz
A group of 19 human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Freedom House, also condemned the US’ decision to give Egypt $170 million and called it “a terrible blow to its stated commitment to human rights and the rule of law.” They added that the move is a “betrayal” of the US’ commitments to “put human rights at the centre of its foreign policy.”
Egypt has been stepping up face-saving measures to deflect criticism regarding its crackdown on dissent and human rights abuse. Last week, Egypt launched a new ‘National Strategy for Human Rights,’ which aims to codify rights and liberties in a single document. The strategy will address civil and political rights issues and marginalised groups’ rights and focus on capacity building in the human rights field.
Maintaining strong ties with Egypt is one of the main pillars of America’s Middle East policy. The State Department said promoting a stable and prosperous Egypt “will continue to be a core objective of US policy.” According to estimates, the US has provided Egypt with over $50 billion in military aid and more than $30 billion in economic assistance since 1978.