The United States (US) on Thursday approved $2.5 billion in arms sales to Egypt despite concerns over human rights violations. The announcement, made by the US State Department, came just hours after several congressional Democrats urged the Biden administration not to release a smaller amount of assistance to Egypt that had been put on hold last year.
Through a statement released by the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the State Department said that it was authorising the sale of 12 C-130J Hercules military transport aircrafts and related equipment worth $2.2 billion to Cairo. It further announced the sale of air defence radar systems worth $355 million.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the US by helping to improve the security of a major non-NATO ally,” the statement read, adding that Egypt is an “important strategic partner” for the US in the Middle East.
The State Department said that the sale of the C-130J aircraft will “improve Egypt’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing airlift support for its forces.” It noted that the added airlift capability would assist with border security, combating terrorism and internal security threats, and providing humanitarian assistance.
“The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region,” Washington claimed.
However, shortly before the announcement, several congressional Democrats led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks wrote a letter to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to “stand by human rights criteria and not to release a portion of US assistance if Egypt fails to fully meet requirements” outlined by the US.
In September, Washington said it was withholding $130 million of a proposed $300 million in military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns. The decision to release the remaining $170 million had attracted widespread criticism from rights groups and activists.
Democratic senator Chris Murphy said on Tuesday that he was “disappointed” with the decision to send $170 million to Egypt. “If Egypt doesn’t meet the conditions in full, the administration has to stand firm and show the world that our actions live up to our stated commitment to democracy and human rights,” he added.
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.
Egypt has been stepping up face-saving measures to deflect criticism regarding its crackdown on dissent and human rights abuse. Last year, Egypt launched a new ‘National Strategy for Human Rights’ that 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 the US’ Middle East policy. The State Department has said that 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.