Growing threat from Islamic State in Sinai
Specially trained Egyptian pilots flew three new Rafale fighter jets from a base in southern France to Cairo. The jets are the first of 24 warplanes that Egypt bought in a $5.6 billion deal earlier this year.
The Rafale deal is a significant achievement for the Egyptian air force because of its radar, reliability and black Shahin missiles.
“Most of the Egyptian air force today are MIG-21’s which wouldn’t last long in any engagement,” Ben Moores, a senior defense analyst at Jane’s Defense Weekly told The Media Line. “With the Shahin missiles, they can attack from a distance with a much lower chance of collateral damage.”
Egypt is facing a growing threat from Islamic State in the Sinai peninsula. In the last few months, gunmen have killed dozens of Egyptian police officers. The threat is primarily from a group called Sinai Province, that used to be an offshoot of al-Qa’ida but switched its loyalty to Islamic State.
Defense analysts Moores says the Shahin missile would not be cost-effective against Islamic State in Sinai which is spread out over a large area. But Egypt is concerned about a threat from Libya and Yemen.
“As countries around them begin to disintegrate, these missiles could give them power to influence events in these countries,” he said.
Also closely watching the regional situation is Israel, which has strong ties with Egypt and Jordan, and shared interests.
“The Islamic State in Sinai is a strategic partner with Hamas (which controls the Gaza Strip),” Dore Gold, the Director General of the Israel Foreign Ministry told journalists in Jerusalem. “The enemy of Egypt is a partner iwt the enemy of Israel and that creates a joint interest between Israel and Egypt. But how we actually execute or build on that joint interest is something I’d rather not discuss.”
At the same time Egyptian President Abdel Fatteh el-Sisi faces a growing domestic challenge. He has cracked down on many human rights including freedom of the press and the ability to demonstrate against the government. A recent report by the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights found that 41,000 people had been detained, charged or sentenced between July 2013, when Sisi deposed Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi, and May 2015.
Egyptian human rights groups say at least 210 members of the Muslim Brotherhood have disappeared and prisons are overcrowded. In addition everyday life for most Egyptians remains difficult.
“People feel their standard of living has deteriorated,” Maye Kassem, a professor of political science at the American University of Cairo told The Media Line. “It’s now a regular occurrence that water and electricity can be cut off at any time without notice. There’s also a lack of security. Tehre’s more street crime, more robberies, more car jackings. People don’t feel safe in the street anymore.”
At the same time there have been some improvements in Egypt’s overall economy. According to the World Bank, economic growth increased by 2.2 percent last year and is set to double this year. The budget deficit is set to decline to 11.3 percent down from 12.8 percent.