Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2016 15:15:20 +0100
The June 30 Revolution turned the Egyptian political scene upside down abroad and at home. At the level of international relations, Egypt has become more open to the world, while some of its relations with other countries have deteriorated. At home, Egypt has placed further emphasis on freedoms, applying the protest law so as to control security and order and to circumvent any attempt on the part of the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters to cause chaos and confusion.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former secretary-general of the United Nations and the honorary president of the National Council for Human Rights, gave an exclusive phone interview to Al-Monitor on Feb. 8, a week before his death at the age of 93. He said that the current climate does not allow the full application of human rights, given that Egypt has gone through two consecutive revolutions, followed by protests and demonstrations on the part of the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters who are difficult to contain.
In regard to the Renaissance Dam, which the Ethiopian government is determined to complete, Boutros-Ghali said that the Egyptian government has neglected this issue for many years under former President Hosni Mubarak, stressing that any demands for military intervention in Ethiopia reflect “ignorance.”
Concerning the consolidation of relations between Egypt and Moscow after the June 30 Revolution, which experts say would negatively affect Egypt’s relations with the United States, Boutros-Ghali said that these statements reflect ignorance as well. He stressed that it is very important and necessary for Egypt to be open to the whole world to achieve its goals and interests.
The following is the full text of the interview.
Al-Monitor: The Egyptian National Council for Human Rights [NCHR] was established through your initiative and with your support. How do you assess its current role in defending human rights in Egypt?
Boutros-Ghali: The NCHR is playing its role to the fullest, always expressing its views on the human rights situation in Egypt. It does not spare any effort to assist the government in writing reports on various events. However, not everyone knows that the NCHR’s role is only advisory and its decisions are not mandatory. The council does not have the right to compel the government to implement its agendas or views on human rights. Its role is limited to writing reports only. The government chooses to endorse or reject such reports.
Al-Monitor: Do you believe that the NCHR enjoys full freedom in writing reports and issuing statements about the events taking place in Egypt?
Boutros-Ghali: Of course the council has full freedom in writing reports, but as I said, the government does not always take its views into account, and this is its own concern.
Al-Monitor: Do you believe that the current Egyptian political regime respects human rights and seeks to entrench the concept of democracy?
Boutros-Ghali: It is difficult to fully apply human rights in Egypt at the present time, as some fundamentalist groups are still trying to regain influence and return to power. The terrorist activities taking place in Egypt every now and then are further proof that these groups will not give up easily. Therefore, the regime might implement practices that are against the principles of human rights to block the attempts of such militant groups.
Al-Monitor: What is your assessment of the new protest law, which some have claimed represents a violation of freedoms in Egypt?
Boutros-Ghali: As I said, the regime is trying to confront these groups with full force. There is a state of war between the government and the fundamentalist system. Freedoms and human rights will not be achieved overnight. Egypt is still in a transitional stage as it knew nothing about democracy before. Thus, we are still at the beginning when it comes to defending human rights.
Al-Monitor: Do you believe that we still need exceptional laws, given the successive terrorist attacks targeting the police and the army in the country?
Boutros-Ghali: If these exceptional laws become necessary, then why not? Given my previous experience as the UN secretary-general, I can confirm that this current turmoil between the regime and the fundamentalist minorities will drag on for many years in spite of the existence of the state institutions, a president, constitution and parliament.
Al-Monitor: Given that you were a representative of Egypt in the United States for many years and were the first Arab to serve as secretary-general of the UN, how do you assess Egypt’s regional role under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi?
Boutros-Ghali: Egypt’s regional role clearly evolved when Sisi came to office. Egypt has been open to the world, which was reflected in its relations with Moscow. These foreign policies will come to the benefit of Egypt and help it achieve its goals and interests.
Al-Monitor: Was there any change in Egypt’s foreign policy following the June 30 Revolution?
Boutros-Ghali: As I said, Egypt has changed and become more open. But it should seek to engage in dialogue with Qatar, and I wish they would reach results. It is unreasonable that Egypt was able to enter into negotiations with Israel after signing the Camp David Accords following the war of October 1973 and not refusing to make an effort with Qatar to unify Arabs.
Al-Monitor: What is your take on the terrorist attacks occurring from time to time in Egypt?
Boutros-Ghali: It is only normal following two revolutions, and they will drag on for years as I stated.
Al-Monitor: Do you think the attacks that are sectarian in nature could impact national unity and cause divisions in society?
Boutros-Ghali: No. The Egyptian community — whether Christians or Muslims — is cohesive. They are the sons of one country.
Al-Monitor: How do you view the situation of Christians in Egypt after the June 30 Revolution?
Boutros-Ghali: The situation of Christians in Egypt is very good, but the Egyptian regime ought to contain both sides to prevent any sectarian crises, especially since there are some external and internal players trying to take advantage of the situation to destabilize the country.
Al-Monitor: How do you assess the efforts undertaken by the state to resolve the Renaissance Dam crisis?
Boutros-Ghali: Unfortunately, former President Mubarak has neglected this issue. Under his rule, Egypt’s relations with Africa had taken a bad turn. He had not visited Ethiopia for years. It had been the custom to send the “weak” ambassador to Africa and the “strong” one to Europe. The current regime is trying to change this policy and is making a lot of effort into it, but things will take time of course.
Al-Monitor: Are these efforts enough, in light of Addis Ababa’s insistence on completing the dam?
Boutros-Ghali: The current regime is working on developing relations with Africa through joint projects, but the results of such efforts will take years to become tangible.
Al-Monitor: As a former international negotiator and diplomat, what do you think is the best diplomatic solution to get out of this crisis?
Boutros-Ghali: Ethiopia has a dream, and we should deal with this fact wisely. Any talk about militant intervention reflects ‘ignorance.’ However, we should start international escalation, as according to the international law we have the right to object to the construction of the dam.