France’s Macron defends arms sales to Egypt despite human rights concerns

French President Emmanuel Macron on December 7 acknowledged the “disagreements” with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi over human rights, but he also said that it will not affect the future sale of French arms to the North African country. The French President welcomed Sissi at the Elysee Palace at the start of the Egyptian President’s two-day state visit to France. Following their high-level meeting in Paris, Macron and Sissi expressed opposing views. As per the Indian Express report, the two leaders discussed human rights issues n addition to talks on fighting terrorism, the conflict in Libya and other regional issues. 

At a joint press conference with Sissi, Macron said, “We have disagreements on that topic (human rights) and we talk about it very frankly. I will not condition matters of defence and economic cooperation on these disagreements”. 

He added, “It is more effective to have a policy of demanding dialogue than a boycott which would only reduce the effectiveness of one of our partners in the fight against terrorism”. 

During their meeting, the French President called for greater inclusiveness of civil society in the political decision-making process in Egypt. He said that it is a better way to fight extremism than “political repression”. It is worth noting that Egypt is France’s key partner in the fight against extremism and for the stability of the region. On Monday, France additionally also ensured Egypt of its support in the health care sector. 

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Macron and Sissi on human rights 

Meanwhile, days before Sissi’s arrival in France, Egyptian authorities had released three workers from the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, who were detained in November following a meeting with diplomats from Western countries. Currently, an investigation is pending into charges of their belonging to a terrorist group and spreading false news. At the press conference, Macron, however, welcomed their release and said that he had “frankly” raised the issue of human rights Sissi “as one does among friends”. 

In reference to the publication in France of caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad, considered blasphemous by Muslims, Macron thanked Sissi for his support after France was targeted by calls for a boycott. Sissi said, “It’s very important that when we’re expressing our opinion, that we don’t, for the sake of human values, violate religious values. The rank of religious values is much higher than human values ... they are holy and above all other values”. 

Macron responded: “We consider human values are superior to everything else. That’s what was brought by the philosophy of the Enlightment and the foundation of the universalism of human rights.”

In recent years, Egypt has seen the heaviest crackdown on dissent in its modern history and Sissi has overseen the toughest crackdown on critics in Egypt in living memory, jailing thousands of Islamists along with pro-democracy activists, reversing freedom won in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, silencing critics and placing draconian rules on rights groups.

France, on the other hand, has sold a considerable amount of weaponry to the North African country, including two French-made Mistral-class helicopter and two dozen French Rafale advanced fighter jets. Previously, the French President had also voiced concern that Egypt might turn to the West’s rival, i.e., China and Russia if it did not receive adequate support from Europe. 

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