[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Egypt and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Egypt Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week's roundup to egypt@jadaliyya.com by Sunday night of every week.]
Political Rights
CIHRS is Launching a Campaign to Lift the Travel Bans on Egyptian Human Rights Defenders under the title "Lift the Travel Bans", which includes short background materials on eleven human rights defenders who have contributed materials to UPR submissions but have been unable to present their findings and recommendations outside of Egypt.
Egypt’s official State Information Service (SIS) organized a visit to the Tora Prison Complex for a handpicked group of two hundred public figures and journalists from local and foreign media outlets on Monday, according to one journalist who attended the tour.
In wake of government crackdown, Egypt lobbies for support ahead of major UN human rights review
Egypt is “fully prepared” to face all the accusations at the Universal Periodic Review session scheduled to be held at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday, according to a government official in Cairo.
Interior Ministry responds to controversial reports on Egyptian prisons
Ministry of Interior held an event on Monday to show the real conditions of Egyptian prisons and the ministry’s recent services provided to inmates across the country.
When Member of Parliament Ahmed Tantawi presented a political reform initiative centered on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi leaving office by 2022 on November 3, Parliament was quick to take action against him.
Open letter: No more academic collusion with Sisi’s regime
Egypt Solidarity Initiative condemned the wave of repression which has swept Egypt in response to peaceful protests criticizing current president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Egypt Social Progress Indicators publishes a report on the assessment of people's enjoyment of the right to housing, including affordability, accessibility, and due process rights during "re-development" and other resettlement plans.
Foreign Policy
Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan to work to resolve Nile dam feud by January 15
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan agreed on Wednesday to reach a deal over the filling and operation of a giant hydropower dam on Ethiopia’s Blue Nile by 15 January, the US Treasury has said.
“Egypt is seeking a balanced agreement that allows Ethiopia to generate electricity — the purpose of building the dam — without encroaching on Egypt’s water rights and interests. Nile water is a matter of life or death for Egypt,” said Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri in a statement issued a day after he and his Ethiopian and Sudanese counterparts met with the US secretary of the treasury and the president of the World Bank in Washington on 6 November.
Russia confirms its readiness to boost Egypt’s national army: Russian Defense Minister
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that his ministry is ready to help Egypt strengthen its military capabilities, according to the presidency’s spokesperson.
Economy
Egypt to start imposing increased fees on flight tickets later this week
Egypt will begin to impose increased fees on passengers travelling on domestic and international flights later this week, according to the civil aviation ministry.
Lowest in Decades: Egypt’s Inflation Rate Drops to 2.4%
Egypt’s annual inflation rate dropped to 2.4 percent in October 2019, marking the lowest annual inflation rate in recent records.
Egypt's Prime Minister approves amendments to investment law bylaws
Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has issued a decree, No. 2731 of 2019, regarding amendments to the bylaws of Egypt's investment law.
The annual inflation for October fell to 2.4 per cent, its lowest level since January 2007. Inflation had spiked to above thirty per cent in the wake of Egypt’s three-year International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement in November 2016 which saw the floatation of the pound and cuts in energy subsidies.
Domestic Security
Can desalination limit GERD’s impacts on Egypt’s water security?
With the negative impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Egypt in mind, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi affirmed that Egypt has launched a plan since 2014 to address the water shortage crisis, warning that the per capita water use in the country is already below the international water poverty rate.
Arabic
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information filed a position paper to denounce the continuing violations of law in publishing photos and confessions of criminal or political defendants upon their arrest and investigation.
السطو على التاريخ: الجيش المصري في الحرب العالمية الأولى
Khalid Fahmy writes about how the present Egyptian army is now making preposterous claims that distort the historical record.
مصر | منظمات حقوقية: تهديد الحقوقيين بأسلوب العصابات لن يوقف فضح الانتهاكات
Human rights organizations condemned the systematic state violations against activists and human rights defenders.
سجن طرة "الوردي": كيف تتعامل مصر مع الانتقادات الدولية؟
Al-Manassa reports on the state propaganda visit to Tora prison in response to international criticism over human rights abuse in Egyptian prisons ahead of the Universal Periodic Review session.
المطالبة بالإعدام ووهم الحل السحرى
Reem Saad writes about the injustice of capital punishment.
محاولات مرتبكة لشرعنة النشاط الاقتصادي للجيش المصري
The article discusses Sisi’s directive requesting the government to work toward a legislative solution for the military-owned companies to enter the stock market.
ثلاث سنوات على قرض صندوق النقد: أين خبأت الطبقة الوسطى مدخراتها؟
The article sheds light on the reform impact on the middle class over the past years.