French President Emmanuel Macron will spend three days in Cairo from Sunday. Once again, he will talk with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, their twelfth meeting in either Cairo or Paris since Macron took office in 2017. But this trip could end up being particularly important.
“We will talk about the crises in the region: Syria and the neighboring countries of Libya, Sudan and Israel,” said a spokeswoman at the Elysee Palace.
France also hopes for a breakthrough in the Middle East conflict, partly because of its longstanding role as a bridge to the Arab world.
Activists, however, are also calling for Macron to highlight Egypt’s dire track record on human rights.
The official focus of the trip is economic cooperation. But in reality, all eyes are on Gaza. Israel recently broke a ceasefire that the country had agreed with Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU, the US, Germany and some Arab states.
Israel attacked the Gaza Strip after Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023. Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages, some of whom are still being detained, while more than 50,000 people have died in Israel’s attack on the Palestinian territory.
“We will talk about a ceasefire and a possible end to the war,” an Elysee spokeswoman said. “We also want to seal a strategic partnership between France and Egypt — of the kind that already exists for Egypt and the EU.”
What is France’s role in the Arab world?
Among EU states, France has long had a pioneering position in its dealings with Egypt and the Arab world, explained Ahmed El Keiy, a former journalist and now managing director of the political consultancy AEK Conseil.
“French-Egyptian relations have been excellent for decades,” he told DW. “Many French companies are active in Egypt and have tens of thousands of employees there. In addition, Egypt was the first country to buy 24 [French] Rafale fighter jets in 2015, which paved the way for further exports of the jets to other countries.”
Today, Egypt is one of the main importers of French military equipment.
These strong ties can be traced back to the Middle East policy of France’s former President Charles de Gaulle. The general, who was in power from 1958 to 1969, pursued a middle-of-the-road approach to the Middle East.
This involved supporting and recognizing the state of Israel, but not unconditionally. De Gaulle condemned Israel and imposed an arms embargo after the country began the Six-Day War in June 1967 with a preemptive strike on Egypt. In his dealings with the Arab states, De Gaulle advocated caution.
“This is another reason why France is highly respected in the Arab world, especially in Egypt,” explains El Keiy.
Journalist Khaled Saad Zaghloul, who has been accredited with the Elysee since 1995, has witnessed this trend first hand.
“Presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, Francois Hollande and now Emmanuel Macron have all consulted with Cairo at least once a week,” the Egyptian consultant told DW. “Since the peace treaty signed between Egypt and Israel in 1979, Cairo has been seen as an acceptable partner.”
At the time, Egypt was the first Arab country to officially recognize Israel as part of the so-called Camp David Accords.
French state visit to Egypt in uncertain political times
For Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics, the timing of the upcoming trip is key.
“Macron is benefiting from an international power vacuum to stand up tall on the world stage as the leader of the West,” he told DW. “The US now appears incoherent. Germany is putting itself in order through negotiations for a coalition government. And it is less present in the Middle East anyway, just like Italy and the UK.”
And Egypt is an important player, with a population of around 110 million and positioned at the crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe. “What happens in Egypt has far-reaching consequences,” said Gerges. “The country is important in terms of migration. It takes in many refugees from neighboring countries. Unlike in Libya, they don’t move on. It is seen as a haven of stability in a region where there are civil wars and active terrorist groups.”
Journalist Saad Zaghloul said that the country mediates in all regional conflicts: “In the Middle East, it is said that you can neither wage war nor make peace without Egypt — the nation plays a leading role among the Arab states.”
‘France, the EU and Egypt must build up pressure’
At the beginning of March, the 22 member states of the Arab League met in the Egyptian capital and agreed on a plan to rebuild Gaza in five to seven years. The inhabitants are to remain in the area and the aim is for it to be administered by the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank.
This proposal stands in stark contrast to US President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan while the reconstruction of the region takes place.
“The Arab plan is a good basis for discussions, but needs to be expanded in terms of security guarantees and Gaza’s future form of government,” said the Elysee spokeswoman, adding that the results of the visit will also be presented to Washington at a later date.
France and Saudi Arabia are also planning a conference on the two-state solution this June. Saad Zaghloul hopes that Macron’s trip will bear fruit.
“France, the EU and Egypt must build up pressure to finally put an end to the war,” he said.
Amnesty International , meanwhile, is calling for France to make a different use of its close ties with Egypt. The international non-governmental organization has warned of a “human rights crisis” and the country’s “systematic repression of opposition politicians and journalists.”
“Macron should explicitly mention human rights in the final declaration, demand the release of political prisoners, and that the parliamentary elections this August take place freely and democratically,” Amnesty International’s Egypt representative Lena Collette told DW.
According to the Elysee, the subject of human rights will be “mentioned” during the trip.
This article was adapted from German.
