Last year, Israel bombed the capitals of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq. This year, Tehran is targeted, which in turn is hitting neighboring countries in the Persian Gulf. In North Africa, two major civil wars continue to rage, with no prospect of the situation in Sudan and Libya calming down anytime soon.
Against this backdrop, one country remains untouched by the hostilities - Egypt, notes ARD.
Surrounded by conflict
Surrounded by conflict zones, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi sees this as proof of the success of his policy. For years, the former general was criticized for investing billions in the army and security while the economy collapsed and many people struggled with the rising cost of living. The wars surrounding Egypt, however, are changing the priorities for a large part of the population. After all, Egypt borders Libya, Sudan, Israel and the Gaza Strip.
To the west is Libya, which is torn apart by political conflicts, and to the south is Sudan, from where millions of people are fleeing war and hunger. Since the war began, about a million and a half Sudanese have arrived in Egypt. To the northeast are Israel and the Gaza Strip, which have been the epicenter of one of the worst conflicts in the region for almost three years.
The Gaza Strip, on the other hand, is the scene of brutal scenes of violence and suffering after Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. Dozens, and possibly hundreds of thousands, of Palestinians have also set off for Egypt, but the difficult crossing of the Rafah border and the inability to obtain status have sent many back to their destroyed homes.
An oasis of calm in a troubled region
Against all this, Egypt seems like an oasis of calm. The country is not located between Israel and Iran, and international air traffic passes through it without any problems. Tourism also benefits from this - the pyramids of Giza, the Karnak temple complex located along the Nile, the beaches of the Red Sea and the museums of Egypt attract many people from all over the world - something that countries like Syria, Lebanon and Iraq can only dream of.
This is not to say that there are no worries in Egypt. ARD correspondent Ramin Sina says that people are wondering whether the conflicts in the region will reach Egypt sooner or later - especially given the Israeli offensives in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
President Sisi has so far managed to isolate the country from the conflicts. Unlike other countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, he has not tried to expand his influence through financial support for paramilitary groups.
From a geographical point of view, Egypt is both vulnerable and strategically important. And although the times when the country set the course for the entire region are long gone, and today Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar have far greater political and financial resources, Egypt is not unimportant. This is especially evident in relation to the war in Ukraine. Together with Qatar, Egypt plays the role of mediator between Israel and Hamas. The negotiations are taking place on the territory of the Arab state, and for Sisi, such meetings are a sign of Egypt's importance as a diplomatic player.
Poverty and repression
However, the former military man is regularly criticized by non-governmental organizations for severely restricting political freedoms.
Critics speak of a police state. It is believed that there are tens of thousands of political prisoners, and in the ranking of “Reporters Without Borders” Egypt is among the countries with the greatest restrictions on freedom of speech in the world. It is placed in 169th place out of 180 countries.
In recent years, the state currency - the Egyptian pound - has seriously depreciated, and inflation has complicated the economic situation of many families. How tense the situation is became clear in April, when the government ordered temporary power cuts in order to save energy. In Cairo, the lights went out at 9:00 p.m. - an unusual sight for a metropolis that usually bustles with life until late at night, writes Sina from ARD.
At the same time, Egypt is losing important revenues. Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea have significantly reduced traffic through the Suez Canal, which is a major source of income for Egypt. The country is heavily in debt and this is a heavy blow for it.
Egypt's future is unclear
Egypt remains a country in difficulty, dependent on loans, investments and financial support from the Gulf states, the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. The lenders are helping primarily because Sisi presents Egypt as a stable country located in the heart of a crisis region.
Today, Egypt is neither the undisputed leading power in the Arab world nor a country on the periphery of regional events, the ARD correspondent summarizes. At a time when the Middle East is restructuring, Cairo is trying to find its place. It is not yet clear what that place will be.
Author: Ramin Zina (ARD)