Egyptian Embassy in Washington releases report praising Sisi

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s first 100 days in office were celebrated in a report published this week by the Egyptian Embassy in Washington DC, in a seemingly diplomatic attempt to strengthen the country’s image in Egypt.

The report is titled, “100 days: decisive leadership for Egypt,” and is available online with high quality images and infographics. 

“A courageous overdue economic approach”, “a new kind of regional leadership,” and “sustainable security at home,” are some of the ways in which the report describes Sisi’s achievements during his first 100 days in power.

In the report, Sisi’s economic achievements are marked by the Suez Canal expansion project, new investments in infrastructure, increased tax revenue, reduced budget deficit, improved business environment, the creation of the “Long Live Egypt” fund and growing energy self-sufficiency. Other achievements listed include the attraction of international investments and overall steady economic growth, with references to the stock market closing at 9000 points in August for the first time since 2008, and some record revenues for the Suez Canal.

The second area of praise for Sisi’s rule in the report pertains to the regional role he has played, particularly in regards to mediation efforts in the Palestinian-Israeli cease-fire, renewed ties with African nations, and negotiations over the Renaissance Dam, which has caused tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia over Nile water-sharing, as well as his efforts in encouraging stability in Libya.

The report then moves on to show Sisi’s efforts to restore peace and stability in Egypt, through the cutting off of “lifelines to radical extremists” and efforts to combat domestic security threats.

On the political level, the report praises Sisi for overseeing a confident transition to democracy, combating sexual assaults and providing rights to all citizens, with no discrimination.

The report follows an editorial published by the New York Times, where the Egyptian administration is slammed for receiving US$1.3 billion in military aid from the US, despite the state's crackdown on civil and political liberties.

Public figures close to the regime slammed the editorial as well as Egypt’s foreign policy agents in Washington for not being able to mediate the situation in Egypt well.

Sisi visited New York for the first time as president in September, in what many US-based analysts described as a trip aimed at improving Egypt's image in the West. An advertising campaign in the background kicked off during his visit, with large billboards appearing in New York with the slogan, "The new Egypt: Peace, prosperity and growth." The visit was heralded by local media in Egypt as a great success for Sisi in restoring Egypt's image in the US. 

The Century Foundation's Michael Hanna told Mada Masr in an interview that Sisi was not invited to come to DC, hence his choice to go to New York instead and address the General Assembly, which remains an important political convention. Hanna stated that, as a result, the visit was not an official one. 

When asked about US qualms regarding the state of human rights in Egypt, Hanna said that these issues will be "an irritant for Egypt going forward, despite the fact that many countries are now realizing that the regime is not going anywhere and they will have to re-engage more seriously with Egypt."