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Egypt | South Africa |
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Egypt-South Africa relations are the bilateral relations between of Egypt and South Africa. The first South African mission in Egypt was established in 1942 as a Consulate-General. Egypt maintained diplomatic relations with South Africa until 1961. [1]
Egypt enforced all the international sanctions on the South African Government. After 1979, unofficial relations and military tensions were eased. Ambassadors were exchanged only in 1990. Egypt has an embassy in Pretoria and South Africa has an embassy in Cairo. Both countries are full members of the African Union, G-24, Group of 77, Non-Aligned Movement and BRICS(since 2024).
Under British colonalism, a project was proposed to connect the capitals of Egypt and South Africa. The first South African Mission in Egypt was established in 1942 as a Consulate-General, converted to a Legation during 1949. South Africa's recognition of Israel in 1948 angered the Egyptian government, which had fought a war with Israel that year. Relations changed after the 1952 revolution in Egypt, as the Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser began supporting African liberation movements after the Bandung Conference. [2] In 1960, official relations were suspended as Egypt, then a part of the United Arab Republic, supported the anti-apartheid movement. Relations were hostile between the apartheid government and the government of Egypt's president, Gamal Abdul Nasser, as Nasserist ideas were an inspiration to the anti-apartheid movement. [3] Nelson Mandela was personally inspired by Nasserism, seeing it as a model for his party, the African National Congress. Nasser's successor, Anwar Sadat, focused Egyptian foreign policy efforts to the Israeli-Egyptian peace process, allowing Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to substitute Arab support for the anti-apartheid movement. However, Egypt would continue to support the anti-apartheid movement, supporting sanctions on South Africa until the end of apartheid. [4] Egyptian politician Boutros Boutros-Ghali helped negoiate for the release of Nelson Mandela from prison. [5] Egypt was the first country Mandela visited since becoming President of South Africa after the end of apartheid. [6] [7] Today, both countries boast positive bilateral relations, having signed an extradition treaty in 2002, and focused on increaing trade between the two nations. [8] [9] [10] Egypt has also joined BRICS in 2024, an economic relationship between Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. [11] [12]
The politics of Egypt takes place within the framework of a republican semi-presidential system of government. The current political system was established following the 2013 Egyptian military coup d'état, and the takeover of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. In the current system, the President is elected for a six-year term. He can appoint up to 5 percent of the parliament. Furthermore, the President has the power to dissolve Parliament through Article 137. The Parliament of Egypt is the oldest legislative chamber in Africa and the Middle East. The unicameral Parliament has the ability to impeach the President through Article 161. With 2020 elections to the new Senate, the chamber became bicameral.
The Foreign relations of Egypt are the Egyptian government's external relations with the outside world. Egypt's foreign policy operates along a non-aligned level. Factors such as population size, historical events, military strength, diplomatic expertise and a strategic geographical position give Egypt extensive political influence in the Middle East, Africa, and within the Non-Aligned Movement as a whole. Cairo has been a crossroads of the Arab world's commerce and culture for centuries, and its intellectual and religious institutions are at the center of the region's social and cultural landmarks.
Al-Ahram, founded on 5 August 1876, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya. It is majority owned by the Egyptian government, and is considered a newspaper of record for Egypt.
Mohamed Hassanein Heikal was an Egyptian journalist. For 17 years (1957–1974), he was editor-in-chief of the Cairo newspaper Al-Ahram and was a commentator on Arab affairs for more than 50 years.
Brazil–South Africa relations are the bilateral relations between the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Republic of South Africa. Both nations are members of the BRICS, Cairns Group, G20, Group of 24, Group of 77 and the United Nations.
Egypt and the United States formally began relations in 1922 after Egypt gained nominal independence from the United Kingdom. Relations between both countries have largely been dictated by regional issues in the Middle East such as the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and Counterterrorism. But also domestic issues in Egypt regarding the country's human rights record and American support for the regimes of Hosni Mubarak and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi which the United States had come under controversy for in the aftermath of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, and with many dissents of the current regime describing Sisi's rule as tyrannical.
The United States and South Africa currently maintain bilateral relations with one another. The United States and South Africa have been economically linked to one another since the late 18th century which has continued into the 21st century. United States and South Africa relations faced periods of strain throughout the 20th century due to the segregationist, white minority rule in South Africa, from 1948 to 1994. Following the end of apartheid in South Africa, the United States and South Africa have developed a strategically, politically, and economically beneficial relationship with one another and currently enjoy "cordial relations" despite "occasional strains". South Africa remains the United States' largest trading partner in Africa as of 2019.
Egypt–Russia relations are the bilateral relations between Egypt and Russia. Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Egypt were established on August 26, 1943. Egypt has an embassy in Moscow, while Russia has an embassy in Cairo and a consulate-general in Alexandria.
The current and historical relations between the Argentine Republic and the Republic of South Africa, for over a century. Both nations are members of the Cairns Group, G20, Group of 77 and the United Nations.
Egypt–Pakistan relations refers to the bilateral relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Modern relations traced back to 1947 when founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah paid a farewell visit to Egypt on the special invitation sent by King Fuad II. Egypt has an embassy in Islamabad and Pakistan has an embassy in Cairo. Both countries are members of the OIC and the "D8". Pakistan and Egypt are both designated Major Non-NATO allies, giving them access to certain levels of hardware and surplus military equipment from the United States.
Contact between Egypt and Sudan goes back to trade and conflict during ancient times. In 1820, Egypt conquered Sudan, and continued to occupy the country, later as a condominium under the British, until Sudan declared Independence in 1956. Sudan later joined the Arab League, of which Egypt is a founding member. Relations between successive governments in Egypt and Sudan have warmed and cooled relations at various times. Relations today are cordial, but tensions remain.
After the neighboring countries of Egypt and Libya both gained independence in the early 1950s, Egypt–Libya relations were initially cooperative. Libya assisted Egypt in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. Later, tensions arose due to Egypt's rapprochement with the west. Following the 1977 Egyptian–Libyan War, relations were suspended for twelve years. However, since 1989 relations have steadily improved. With the progressive lifting of UN and US sanctions on Libya from 2003 to 2008, the two countries have been working together to jointly develop their oil and natural gas industries.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1044, adopted unanimously on 31 January 1996, after noting the assassination attempt on President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak at an Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on 26 June 1995, demanded that the Government of Sudan comply with OAU requests to extradite suspects sheltered in the country to Ethiopia.
Egypt–Palestine relations are the bilateral relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Palestine. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser was a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and he favored self-determination for the Palestinians. Although the Egyptian government has maintained a good relationship with Israel since the Camp David Accords, most Egyptians strongly resent Israel, and disapprove of the close relationship between the Israeli and Egyptian governments.
Hamdeen Sabahi is an Egyptian politician, journalist. He is currently the leader of the Egyptian Popular Current and a co-leader of the National Salvation Front. An opposition activist during the Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak eras, Sabahi was jailed 17 times during their presidencies for political dissidence. He was an immediate supporter and participant of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. Sabahi entered the 2012 Egyptian presidential race in which he finished third place with 21.5% of the vote trailing the second place candidate Ahmed Shafiq by a margin of 700,000 votes. In the 2014 presidential election he was one of just two candidates. He ran second with less than 4% of the vote. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was declared the winner after attracting 22 million of the nearly 23 million votes cast. Sisi was sworn into office as President of Egypt on 8 June 2014.
Historically, relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia could be considered as extending several centuries back to the relations between earlier regimes in Egypt – the highly autonomous Egypt Eyalet in the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Egypt – and the earlier manifestations of Saudi/Wahhabi power in the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia and Egypt are both highly influential countries in the Arab world. Egypt is the most populous Arab country, and Saudi Arabia is a member of the G20. According to a 2013 Pew global opinion poll, 78% of Egyptians express a favourable view of Saudi Arabia, and 19% express an unfavourable view.
Egypt–Syria relations refers to the bilateral relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Syrian Arab Republic. Egypt has an embassy in Damascus. Syria has an embassy in Cairo. Both countries are members of the Arab League.
Omar Abdel Aziz Sharaf was an Egyptian career diplomat, an Assistant Secretary General of the Arab League, a Deputy Representative of the UNHCR for the Middle East, as well as an Omani and international diplomat. He was a Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star, a recipient of the Order of Merit, First Class, and a recipient of the Order of the Republic, Second Class. He was also a lawyer, a member of the Egyptian Bar association, who until his death in 1993, was Doyen of a family clan of diplomats, politicians, linguists and lawyers.
South Africa–Sweden relations refers to the bilateral relations between Sweden and South Africa. Formal relations between the two countries began with the opening of a South African legation in the 1930s with relations being upgraded to ambassadorial level in 1994 following South Africa's first non-racial democratic elections. In 2000 a South African - Swedish Binational Commission was established by President Thabo Mbeki and Prime Minister Göran Persson.
Mohamed Fayek is an Egyptian politician who held various cabinet posts from 1967 to 1971 during the presidency of Gamal Abdel Nasser. He was the minister of national guidance in 1967, the minister of information between 1968 and 1970 and the state minister for foreign affairs between 1970 and 1971. He was also elected as a deputy to the People's Assembly in 1968.