Egypt protests show Sisi’s popularity eroding: Analysts

By Hussein Mahmoud

CAIRO

Recent street protests in Egypt against a government decision to cede two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia reflect receding popular support for Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, according to analysts.

Last week, the Egyptian government announced that it was transferring the sovereignty of Tiran and Sanafir islands – which have been under Egypt’s control for more than six decades – to Saudi Arabia.

The government has defended the move, arguing that Egypt had seized control of the two islands in 1950 amid concerns that Israel might seize them.

It said both countries had signed maritime demarcation accords that put the two islands in Saudi water, a process it said had taken six years.

The deal on the two islands, which was announced during a visit by Saudi King Salman to Egypt, has sparked public outrage and accusations for Sisi of selling the Egyptian territory to Saudi Arabia.

Activists launched online campaigns describing Sisi as “Awaad”, referring to a character in an old Egyptian song who had sold his land – a shameful act in the eyes of rural Egyptians.

The deal is still pending approval by the Egyptian parliament.

“[The protests] show that the regime’s popularity is eroding,” political analyst Hasan Nafaa told Anadolu Agency. “It’s the first time to see protestors who are not members of Islamist groups or the opposition calling for Sisi to go.”

Nafaa, however, said that it was still premature to speak about a “popular uprising” against the Sisi regime.

“The regime believes that it is dealing with different issues in a perfect way, which is not true,” he said.

Sisi has been under fire in recent months over his handling of Egypt’s struggling economy and the death of Italian student Giulio Regeni, which has strained Egypt’s relations with Italy.

In a meeting with lawmakers last week, Sisi denied selling Egyptian land to Saudi Arabia, accusing Egypt’s foes of seeking to drive a wedge in Egyptian society.

A former army chief, Sisi was elected president in 2014, one year after unseating President Mohamed Morsi in a military coup.

Political sociologist Saeed Sadeq believes that last week’s demonstrations over the islands have ended the “scarecrow” of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Pro-government media have accused critics of the Sisi regime of being supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was blacklisted by the Egyptian government in late 2013.

“Many supporters have ignored the Brotherhood scarecrow and took part in the protests,” Sadeq said.

In a statement last week, the Muslim Brotherhood called for street protests against the islands deal.

Sadeq noted that social media has played a major role in mobilizing protestors.

“The demonstrations have also put an end to the ‘culture of fear’ in the street and forced the media to cover the protests, which is a political and media victory for the demonstrators,” he said.