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Sisi's African offensive
Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. © Ahmed Jalil/EPA/Newscom/MaxPPP

Running story
Sisi's African offensive

With the civil war in Libya and the fall of Omar Al Bechir's regime in Sudan, Cairo is having to resume a more active role in African affairs extending beyond the issue of water rights on the Nile, which until recently were Egypt's primary focus on the continent. As a result, Egypt's 45 embassies in Africa have been tasked by President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to conduct a number of military, hydroelectric and economic cooperation projects in east and central Africa. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam remains, nevertheless, a major concern.

Sisi's African offensive
Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. © Ahmed Jalil/EPA/Newscom/MaxPPP

Spotlight | Egypt
Sisi's cabinet reshuffle creates new defence and diplomatic balance

Six months after his re-election, the Egyptian president has sacked his influential defence minister, with whom relations had become strained. The new foreign minister he appointed in a major cabinet overhaul is close to the country's intelligence services.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on 30 June 2024.
LogoSubscribers only Defence 09.07.2024
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on 30 June 2024.

Angola
Angola becoming lucrative market for Egyptian construction firms

Egypt's Elsewedy Electric is winning contract after contract in Angola. Those contracts alone account for a third of Egypt's annual exports to sub-Saharan Africa, making the southern African country a key economic partner.

LogoSubscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 24.04.2023

Egypt
Cairo wins battle of think tanks at African Union

Following intense negotiations, the coveted chairmanship of a new network of think tanks to support the AU peace and security commissioner Bankole Adeoye has been awarded to a Cairo-based policy institute close to the Egyptian foreign ministry.

LogoSubscribers only Diplomacy 17.03.2023

Egypt
Egypt and Ethiopia in race to sell electricity to Sudan

Egypt is pitted against Ethiopia in the race to sell electricity to neighbouring Sudan, which is plagued by recurrent power cuts and must respond to growing consumption.

LogoSubscribers only Infrastructure, Energy 28.09.2022

Egypt
Sisi makes last-ditch attempt to assert his leadership in Africa before COP27

The continent's finance, economy, environment and development ministers have been invited for talks in Sharm el-Sheikh from 8 to 9 September to find a common position ahead of the COP27. In the run-up to the international climate summit, the Egyptian president has made all kinds of efforts to establish himself as the leader of the pack.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
LogoSubscribers only Diplomacy 02.09.2022
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Egypt
In the midst of his country's crisis, Sisi looks to COP27 and offers talks

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called for a "national dialogue" with hand-picked representatives of the opposition for this week. The aim of this forum is to reduce the risk of internal protests and to satisfy Cairo's Western allies in the run-up to COP27.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Brussels in February 2022.
LogoSubscribers only Diplomacy 04.07.2022
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Brussels in February 2022.

Egypt
Egypt continues to court Sudan as GERD talks with Ethiopia falter

As Ethiopia prepares for the third filling of the Renaissance Dam, Egypt's diplomatic corps is taking action to keep Sudan on its side. It has come to Gen. Al Burhan's aid in Khartoum, where negotiations between the government and military have reached an impasse.

LogoSubscribers only Diplomacy 24.06.2022

Egypt, Horn of Africa
Abdelfattah al-Sisi's very personal diplomacy in the Horn

The Egyptian president snubbed an African Union summit and instead attended the Beijing Olympics in the company of his financial sponsor, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Sisi is continuing his strategy of encircling his Ethiopian rival and consolidating his position in Sudan and Djibouti.

Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi (right) welcomed his Djiboutian counterpart Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (IOG) in Cairo, 7 February 2022.
LogoSubscribers only Diplomacy 14.02.2022
Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi (right) welcomed his Djiboutian counterpart Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (IOG) in Cairo, 7 February 2022.

Africa, Egypt
EDEX arms show allows Sisi to shine in Africa

EDEX 2021 provided Cairo an opportunity not only to flaunt its booming defence industry but also to bolster its diplomatic influence in Africa, starting with the Nile Basin.

The arms fair Egypt Defence Expo 2021 in Cairo.
LogoSubscribers only Defence, Business 06.12.2021
The arms fair Egypt Defence Expo 2021 in Cairo.

Egypt, Sudan
Bashir spymaster's fate tangles ties between Cairo and Khartoum

Since the failed coup in Khartoum last week, blamed like previous plots on "former regime loyalists", the authorities are likely to redouble their efforts to track down Omar al-Bashir's former top spy Salah Gosh, whom they accuse of masterminding the attempted putsch.

Sudan's former spymaster Salah Gosh.
LogoSubscribers only Diplomacy 28.09.2021
Sudan's former spymaster Salah Gosh.

Horn of Africa
Addis and Cairo's communication war heats up

Egypt and Ethiopia are fighting to get their voices heard in Washington, and have hired new PR professionals to help them.

LogoSubscribers only Diplomacy 15.09.2021

Burundi
Why OMP Solutions is supplying Egyptian APCs to Burundi's blue helmets

The Marck subsidiary is to supply Burundian troops in MINUSCA with a batch of 16 armoured vehicles designed by Egyptian firm Kader. The arrangement comes amid warming relations between Evariste Ndayishimiye and Abdelfattah al-Sisi.

LogoSubscribers only Defence, Business 13.09.2021

Spotlight | Africa, Egypt
Sisi puts water at the heart of his African diplomacy

Egypt is preparing a major conference on water issues in Cairo in October with several African heads of state. Its aim is to find new markets for Egyptian companies but also allies to help it block next year's planned third filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Egyptian President Abdelfattah al Sisi.
Free access Energy, Diplomacy 03.09.2021
Egyptian President Abdelfattah al Sisi.

DRC, Egypt
Egypt's discreet military cooperation in the DRC

Félix Tshisekedi and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's fast-tracked rapprochement begun last year goes beyond infrastructure and power and the two heads of state prepare to work on military cooperation.

Felix Tshisekedi and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
LogoSubscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 31.08.2021
Felix Tshisekedi and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Egypt
Sisi sees Egyptian Exchange as vehicle for regional influence and beyond

The Egyptian Exchange is continuing to seek out foreign investors and major corporations to list with a focus on wealthy Egyptians living abroad.

Egypt's stock exchange, the Egyptian Exchange based in Cairo and Alexandria.
LogoSubscribers only Finance, Politics 20.08.2021
Egypt's stock exchange, the Egyptian Exchange based in Cairo and Alexandria.

DRC
Equity Bank and Sofibanque to fund Egyptian firm Hassan Allam's projects

The government has obtained the backing of the two Congolese banks for three infrastructure projects it plans to realise in the central part of the country. The work will be carried out by Egyptian construction company Hassan Allam.

LogoSubscribers only Infrastructure, Business 19.08.2021

DRC, Egypt
Congolese PM Lukonde in Cairo to talk construction and new towns

A Congolese delegation headed by Prime Minister Sama Lukonde Kyenge will be visiting Cairo from 27 to 30 July to discuss the Kitoko new town project in which the Egyptian businessman Hesham Sheta is very involved.

LogoSubscribers only Business 23.07.2021

Egypt, Ethiopia
After failing at the UN, Sisi turns to MBZ for GERD support

The second phase of filling the vast Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam started on 5 July. Egypt, which failed to convince the UN to take up the issue, is doing all it can to get the UAE strongman to block Addis.

LogoSubscribers only Diplomacy 21.07.2021

Spotlight | Egypt, Sudan
The worldwide hunt for Bashir's spymasters

Having given the green light for the transfer of ex-president Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court, the Sudanese government is now trying to locate its two former intelligence advisors Salah Gosh and Mohamed Atta, who have both disappeared, taking their secrets with them.

Salah Gosh, former special security adviser to President Omar al-Bashir.
LogoSubscribers only Diplomacy 15.07.2021
Salah Gosh, former special security adviser to President Omar al-Bashir.

DRC, Egypt
Billionaire Naguib Sawiris goes prospecting in DRC

With his gold operations expanding but his media business struggling, Sawiris was in Kinshasa in late May to cultivate his relations with the ministers of mines and communications.

Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris.
LogoSubscribers only Mining, Business 28.05.2021
Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris.

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Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

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