The Egyptian regime has launched a major media campaign to
reject Turkish interference in Libya and to mobilise actors,
journalists, electronic committees and various media outlets, in
support of an expected decision in favour of Egyptian military
intervention in Libya.
Several accounts loyal to the regime of General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
launched slogans on social media, such as “neutrality is betrayal”
and “100 million martyrs for Egypt.”
Observers believe that the escalation of the media arms and
electronic committees of the regime of President Abdel Fattah al-
Sisi and the attempt to mobilise the Egyptians behind al-Sisi is
only an attempt of the regime to escape its own crises at home.
Instead of al-Sisi facing the severe internal and external crises that
threaten his regime, with public tension and anger escalating over
his policies in light of the approach of the anniversary of the
haunting January revolution, he has tried to rally Egyptians behind
him using an imaginary threat.
Those loyal to the Egyptian regime are promoting that because of
the differences between authorities in Turkey and Egypt – the al-
Sisi regime fears the Turkish presence in Libya.
Opponents say that al-Sisi’s fears are related to himself, not to
Egypt, reminding us that the real threat is from the south (the
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) and the east (the siege of
Gaza), not the West (Libya).
Despite the rigid statements of Ethiopian officials towards the
Egyptian demands related to the Nile River crisis and the serious
impact of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on Egypt, the Egyptian
regime did not find any threat to the national security of the
country.
The Egyptian regime reiterates the need to act wisely and calmly
with the Ethiopian side, and to consider them as friends with
whom the crisis can be resolved with understanding.
But that wisdom does not apply to Libya or Turkey.
Media sources told Egypt Watch that security services issued
instructions to the media that Egyptians must be mobilised behind
any forthcoming decision regarding the Libyan issue.
The problem, according to those sources, is that the media has not
been informed of any decision, but rather that the Egyptians need
to be in agreement about any decision.
Although al-Sisi has not announced a decision to intervene
militarily in Libya, these authorities asked the media to accuse any
opponent of the Egyptian military intervention in Libya with
“treason,” and to “reject his opinion harshly,” and even to report to
the “National Security Forces about him.”
The requests also included the need to show the strength of the
Egyptian army and to emphasise “how much al-Sisi was intelligent
when he insisted on buying Rafale aircraft and the Mistral aircraft
carrier for conditions like these,” and that it was not to “buy the
European Union’s silence about the violations taking place in
Egypt, as critics said at the time.”
Over the past several days a number of Egyptian journalists, actors,
and singers have reiterated their support for al-Sisi in defence of
Egyptian national security.
Egyptian satellite channels loyal to the regime also broadcast,
repeatedly, video clips of Egyptian army equipment. In the
background al-Sisi talks about “the dangers facing the country and
the sacrifices of its sons.”
Observers say that the media message used in the Egyptian media
today is very similar to the media message used to rally the people
behind the leadership during the 1967 and 1973 wars.
However, political analysts say that these statements are merely a
“media escalation,” as no Egyptian military statements have been
issued regarding the crisis.
Political analysts say that the real goal of media escalation is
drawing the attention of the Egyptian people from internal crises
and silencing any voice that criticises their economic and political
failure.
Military experts say that the region is not ready for an all-out war,
and that European countries such as France or Italy are not ready
for an open war, even if there are large quantities of gas and oil, as
they would prefer to continue a proxy war.
At the same time, Cairo has avoided engaging in war with Ethiopia
over the Nile waters, which is a lifeline for Cairo.
Egyptian support for Haftar was fully paid for by the UAE and
Saudi Arabia, but the UAE and Saudi Arabia, in light of
developments in the situation in Iraq and the Gulf, will be busier,
and perhaps spending will not continue at the same level.
