Model AU deemed one of Sisi's achievements: MPs

CAIRO – 15 May 2018: Parliamentarians hailed the Model African Union (MAU) as a successful effort, which was held under the slogan of "One Land, One Goal" on Sunday by the same organizers of the World Youth Forum, the National Academy for Youth.

Parliamentarians who spoke to Egypt Today asserted the importance of the MAU in bridging the gap among the African continent's youth and increasing their opportunities in displaying various ideas and visions about different issues. It's noteworthy that Egypt will chair and host the upcoming African Summit scheduled to be held in 2019.

"The MAU experience is an inspiring attempt to support youth in the political arena through monitoring real problems of the African continent," said Maged Abul Khair, deputy chief of Parliament’s African Affairs Committee.

Abul Khair stressed that President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi had pointed out that all African youth from different countries have faced similar problems and challenges.

"The MAU is deemed a positive vision inspiring the youth who will be Egypt's future wheel, provided with training programs to lead the country," Abul Khair added.

Yehia al-Kedwany, deputy member of Parliament's National Security and Defense Committee, asserted that "Egypt is retuning back to the African side as a central country in Africa under the leadership of President Sisi."

"The MAU is a chance to connect all the African youth together and a good opportunity to boost relations between Egypt and other African countries," Kedwany noted.

Mahmoud Yehia, member of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, praised the MAU, adding, "Sisi is a pioneer of restoring Egypt's leading position among African countries and at the world level."

"Egypt must exploit this event to boost ties with African countries amid recent unrests and worries that Egypt has witnessed at the strategic level," Yehia told Egypt Today.

Yehia emphasized the importance of deepening the concepts of the Egyptian strategic position as an Arab, Muslim and African country. "Egyptian youth must travel to Africa and explore more cultures and ideas."

Mahmoud Hussein, member of Parliament's Youth and Sports Committee, told Egypt Today that Egypt has been drawing its position on the political map in Africa since 2014, after long decades of neglect given to the rich continent.

"The MAU experience is one of the achievements of President Sisi in his second presidential term," Hussein said.

The exceptional MAU session started with speeches, delivered by youths from participating countries, on challenges facing African countries and means to overcome them to secure a promising, terror-free world full of job opportunities for youth.

Sisi attended the final session and listened to the different speeches of the participating youth and then delivered a short speech expressing his pride and delight of the awareness level among the African youth regarding the challenges facing the continent.

“Almost all the speakers talked about the same case... they sent a clear message to all the people of Egypt and other African countries that stability, counterterrorism, good education and youth employment are musts,” Sisi said.

He added that the MAU followed the steps of a similar model held by the National Academy for Youth last November, which reflects the state’s desire to enable young people to assume leading positions in the government.

Sisi empowerment of Egypt's youth

Since he took office in 2014, Sisi has been empowering young generations to occupy senior and high-profile positions in the near future. Sisi has surrounded himself with youth, and his media office’s staff members are youth-inspired.

In September 2015, Sisi revealed the launch of the Presidential Leadership Program (PLP), which seeks to educate and enlighten junior cadres who can be the country’s future leaders.

Sisi declared 2016 as the Year of the Youth, followed by five national conferences for young people. The first conference was held in Sharm el-Sheikh in October 2016. The second was held in Cairo in December 2016. The third was held in Aswan in January 2017. The fourth was held in Ismailia in April 2017, while the fifth was held in Sharm el-Sheikh in October 2017 under the title of “World Youth Forum”.

The first Youth Conference was deemed the most important conference, as it outlined the relationship between Sisi and the youth. “I’m very proud of you,” Sisi said during the first Youth Conference.

Sisi also paid attention to young detainees and ordered the establishment of a national committee to review the statuses of young prisoners. As a result, three groups of young prisoners were released upon a pardon from President Sisi.

The fourth pardon list is being prepared by the relevant and concerned authorities. MP Tarek al-Khouly, member of the Presidential Pardon Committee, said on November 11, 2017 that they have been working to finalize the list in order to prove to the whole world that the outcome of the previously held youth conferences is being executed.

President Sisi confirmed that those who are not proven to be members of terrorist organizations or to be involved in acts that contradict the standards of the constitutional presidential pardon will be on the list, according to Kholy.

In December 2017, the Egyptian Cabinet approved a bill to amend some provisions of law No. 3396 of 1956, concerning the organization of prisons.

Sisi issued presidential decree 434/2017 to establish the National Academy for Youth Training, which aims to develop human skills and young cadres under the direct auspices of the president.

If Sisi has accomplished his promises given to the youth, he will write his name in gold in Egyptian history, as he will be one of the creators of Egypt’s future leaders.