“Sisi’s Egypt” might last as long as “Pinochet’s Chile” or “Salazar’s Portugal.” But that will not be because it is well designed—or even designed at all.
The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest opposition movement and one of its oldest, is squeezed between an unprecedented crackdown from the security state and a young generation pushing for more assertive action against the regime of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
In the upcoming Strategic Dialogue, Secretary Kerry should urge President Al-Sisi to end his repression of critics in order to advance a more effective strategy for countering violent extremism.
If the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood wants to maintain its coherence, the leadership has to balance the concerns of the popular base with the ways of the old guard.
Long neglected by outside powers, the Sahel region stands at the strategic nexus of a number of growing challenges facing the African continent, Europe, and the wider Middle East.
Amidst concern over human rights abuses, President Barack Obama’s administration has requested $1.5 billion in foreign aid, almost entirely for military assistance, for Egypt this coming year.
Since the 2011 uprisings across the Middle East, each year has proven more challenging than the last. With conflicts spreading across the region, 2015 will follow a similar pattern.
Egypt’s real challenge is ensuring political as well as economic inclusion for the broadest array of social groups and classes possible.
Egypt’s political scene has changed radically from the vigorous pluralism that followed the 2011 uprising; in 2015 the Islamist and secular groups that won those elections are excluded or marginalized.
The Egyptian military has gained unprecedented power since overseeing the ouster of two Egyptian presidents, Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and Mohamed Morsi in 2013. But political overreach and internal rivalries may prove obstacles to long-term military control.