Centrum Stosunków Międzynarodowych - 19 September 2016: Trump, Clinton meet Egypt’s Sisi

On the sidelines of the 71^st UN General Assembly, Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi met with several world leaders, including both major US presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Although both candidates stressed US-Egypt strategic partnership, there were considerable difference in their messages. Clinton reiterated Egypt’s importance in the fight against terrorism, but criticised human rights violations and demanded the release of social activist Aya Hegazy. Trump, on the other hand, failed to mention human rights, praised Sisi’s policies and expressed hopes that Egypt and the US together would eradicate ‘radical Islamic terrorism’.

Clinton’s meeting with Sisi is a part of a trend of US politicians expressing limited criticism of Egypt’s human rights record. Beside Clinton, the White House and two US congressmen, Don Beyer and Gerry Connolly, recently called for the release of Aya Hegazy. Hegazy, an Egyptian-American who had founded an NGO helping street children in Cairo, was arrested in 2014 along with her husband and several employees. Sisi’s human rights violations were also criticised several times by Tim Kaine, who is now Clinton’s running mate.

Trump, on the other hand, did not mention human rights, focused on the threat from ‘radical islamic terrorism’ and proclaimed that Egypt will be treated as a friend of the US should he become the president. He underscored the importance of US-Egypt strategic partnership and claimed he has ‘high regard for peace-loving Muslims.’

Despite the differences in content of their meetings with Sisi, both Clinton and Trump were criticised by a group of US scholars and analysts focusing on Egypt, as well as an executive director of the Human Rights Watch. The criticism was centred on the argument that such talks legitimise authoritarian rule and human rights violations. One of the main accusations levelled against Sisi is connected to Raba’a massacre in Cairo in 2013 when security forces killed at least 817 people. None of the policemen involved have been charged with crimes related to Raba’a and the state has failed to pay compensation to victims and their families.