Sisi warns of Egypt’s stability being targeted after Assad’s fall
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi hold a joint press conference with President Erdogan after their meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Türkiye on September 04, 2024 (AA Photo)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has issued a stark warning about potential threats to Egypt’s stability, invoking Syria’s recent upheaval as an example of destruction he aims to prevent. The statement, aired Sunday on ON, a channel operated by Egypt’s intelligence services, came in a video compiling past speeches by Sisi.
“Pay attention, their mission in Syria is complete,” Sisi said in the clip. “They have already destroyed Syria. Their goal is to bring down the Egyptian state.”
The release of the video follows the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, as rebel forces entered Damascus, ending more than five decades of rule by the Assad family. The event marked a turning point in the Syrian conflict, leaving behind a fractured nation after years of civil war.
Sisi’s comments reflect his broader rhetoric about safeguarding Egypt from perceived external and internal threats. Since taking power in 2014 after ousting his democratically elected predecessor, Mohamed Morsi, Sisi has focused on presenting himself as the guardian of Egypt’s stability.
His tenure has been characterized by a clampdown on dissent, with human rights organizations estimating that over 60,000 political prisoners are currently detained, alongside widespread reports of forced disappearances.
In the video, Sisi reiterated his narrative that Egypt’s security is tied to its survival. “They know that if Egypt falls, chaos will spread around the whole world,” he stated. “All efforts are being made to undermine the Egyptian economy and social peace.”
He vowed to take decisive action, declaring, “We are protecting our people and the national security of Egypt. Whoever threatens our security, we will confront them using the appropriate means.”
Sisi has repeatedly referred to the 2011 pro-democracy uprising as a conspiracy designed to fragment the nation. In recent remarks to media figures, he stressed that Egypt would not face the same fate as Syria, attributing his government’s stability to the unity between the military, the police, and the public.
