Egypt and Tunisia agree to cooperate in fight against terrorism

This Friday, the President of the Republic of Tunisia, Kaïs Saied, began an official trip to Egypt, the first since he took office in October 2019. Moreover, it had been 6 years since a Tunisian president had paid an official visit to Egypt. During this trip, Saied met with Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the Egyptian president, in Cairo to discuss regional and international issues concerning the two North African countries. One of the issues discussed was the fight against terrorism, a scourge that affects the entire Maghreb region and the Middle East, and which has recently been spreading to the Sahel. "I agree with my Tunisian counterpart to strengthen cooperation in the field of the fight against terrorism," said Al-Sisi at a joint press conference with Saied. The Tunisian president, on the other hand, insisted "on confronting terrorism by all means and immunising societies against extremism". During the visit, the two presidents will discuss measures to strengthen bilateral relations and joint cooperation, not only in the field of counter-terrorism, but also in security, economic and investment issues.

This trip demonstrates the good relations that Egypt and Tunisia are developing. "President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received this afternoon at Cairo airport his brother, Tunisian President Kaïs Saied, who is a dear guest in Egypt," announced Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Radi. However, from some Islamist sectors in Tunisia, this visit has generated rejection and criticism. Egypt's current president, Al-Sisi, took office after leading a coup against Mohammed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and the country's elected president at the time. After the coup, Morsi was arrested and died serving time. For this reason, for some Tunisians, such as former president Moncef Marzouki, the visit was a mistake. "Saied does not represent the revolution that allowed him to take power, nor does he represent Tunisia's independence, the unity of its state, its interests and values, and most important of all, its honour, which is the most precious possession of a person or a people," said Marzouki. It is worth noting, however, that the Muslim Brotherhood is considered a terrorist organisation by several nations and, according to analysts, is linked to radical and jihadist groups. 

Libya was an important issue. "We hope that Libya will follow the right path.... There is no way to divide Libya," Saied told a joint press conference with Al-Sisi. Libya neighbours Egypt and Tunisia. The country plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi.

The two leaders also discussed the huge dam Ethiopia is building on the main tributary of the Nile River. Egypt and Sudan consider the project a major threat if it is completed and operated without a legally binding agreement.

The Tunisian president said his country supports Egypt's position in the standoff with Ethiopia. He indicated that any damage to Egypt's water security is unacceptable.

This trip to Egypt comes some time after Saied's visit to Libya to also strengthen bilateral relations and cooperate against terrorism. Despite the fall of Daesh in 2019, terrorist groups in the area have not disappeared. The Sinai Peninsula remains a nest of extremists and a challenge to the Egyptian government. Moreover, jihadist terrorism remains active in Tunisia, where several security operations against Da'esh-linked terrorists were carried out in April. The Maghreb countries must also keep a close eye on jihadist expansion in the Sahel, which also poses a threat to Europe. Libya is one of the areas of greatest concern due to its instability and the difficulty of controlling these groups. The leaders of the Maghreb, together with their European partners, must cooperate to fight this scourge, which poses one of the main threats to society.