Egypt to prioritize Africans' interest during presidency of AU: MP at WYF

CAIRO - 4 November 2018: Egypt will embark on “preventive diplomacy” in its Africa policies by making decisions that are in the interest of African citizens, MP Amr Ezzat said during a Sunday speech at the World Youth Forum (WYF).

The “restoration of Egypt’s historical role” in Africa is a serious step that is included on the 2063 agenda; a subcommittee of the 2063 committee is tasked with reaching that target, added Ezzat, a member of the Committee for Party Youth Representatives (CPYR).

In January, Egypt will head the African Union (AU), which means it will be active in eradicating all conflicts and crises in Africa, especially the South Sudan crisis and the African Great Lakes, the young MP said during the "Agenda 2063..Africa that we want."



The six states of the Great Lakes have been in turmoil since independence, as colonial borders cut through ethnic groups, while South Sudan has been going through bloody civil tension.

During its presidency of the AU, Egypt will apply the 2063 agenda by cooperating with the G20 and the industrial G7, Ezzat added at the event in Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Egyptian-African relations witnessed great developments during the presidency of Abdel Fatah al-Sisi because he is aware of the importance of the continent and its strong connection to the Egyptian national security, according to the MP.

Africa is one of the most important political circles for Egyptian diplomacy, as Egypt’s belonging to the continent has been a main aspect in creating its identity over eras, he continued.

Not only is Egypt geographically and historically another African nation, but its “genius location” made it a meeting point for civilizations, cultures, and a crossroads for the world’s maritime transportation. It is the continent’s “head looking over the Mediterranean” and it is the downstream country of its greatest rivers, the Nile.

The African identity has formed the cultural characteristics of the “Egyptian personality.” Such “belonging” makes it paramount for every Egyptian leadership to follow up with events in African and to proactively participate in the making of its past, present and future, Ezzat emphasized.

“In the past, the Church of Alexandria played an important role in spreading Orthodoxy in Africa, as Egypt included modern Egypt, Nubia, North Africa and Ethiopia. Al-Azhar also played an important role in spreading the sciences of Islam amongst the children of the continent,” he said during his speech.

“In the modern era, Egypt played an important role in supporting the national liberation movements in Africa, such as the Lumumba revolt in Kenya, the Mau Mau Uprising, and the Algerian revolution.”

Ezzat continued that “in its support for the liberation movements of Africa, Egypt presented all possible financial, media and political backing to the nations of the continent. Egypt also supported anti-apartheid factions in the continent, including South Africa and Southern Rhodesia.”

Additional reporting by Mohamed al Jali, Samir Hosni and Ibrahim Hassan