A Centennial of Modern Egyptian Diplomacy: Reflections Amidst Uncertainty in our Global Village
by Ahmed El Fadly, Ambassador of Egypt to South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho
15 March 2022
Today, as we commemorate a centennial of modern Egyptian diplomacy, uncertainty appears to be the prevailing sentiment at this critical juncture of modern history in our “global village”. Overnight, the overwhelming and once alarming news of COVID-19 deadly infections, total lockdowns and lack of ventilators have been replaced by equally disturbing reports of military confrontations, economic sanctions and refugee crises. The specter of war is haunting millions in Europe with current developments in Ukraine. Its ramifications are preoccupying many more across the globe, while the destructive effects of climate change are flooding entire cities thousands of miles away in Australia and elsewhere.
Amidst these dire circumstances, it is quite opportune to reflect on diplomacy as a crucial instrument in the conduct of foreign relations. In fact, it appears to be highly indispensable today to assist in diffusing tensions and in resolving global challenges.
Amarna Letters
Although we are honoring today one hundred years of modern Egyptian diplomacy, Egypt’s diplomatic tradition can be traced back to the earliest practices of diplomacy in human history, namely the Amarna Letters. These letters were found in Upper Egypt in “Tell El–Amarna”, the capital of ancient Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Akhenaten in the 14th century BCE. They form correspondence exchanged between the Pharaoh of Egypt, his client kingdoms and other great powers of the Near East.
Since then, the foreign policy of Egypt has focused primarily on the withdrawal of British troops until their complete withdrawal in 1956 as per the 1954 Anglo-Egyptian Agreement. This did not preclude Egypt’s involvement in international affairs. As a member of the League of Nations, Egypt’s opposition to the Italian invasion of Ethiopia (1935 – 1941) is a case in point. Thereafter, the focus shifted to asserting the Arab identity of Egypt in the 1940s, then her African identity in the 1950s, while leading a policy of non-alignment amidst the Cold War as of the 1960s. In this context, Egypt was a leading force behind the Pan-Arab, Pan-African and Non-Aligned Movements, supporting liberation movements throughout the Arab world and the African continent.
As such, Egypt co-founded the League of Arab States with Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria in 1945, a few months before the end of World War II and the establishment of the United Nations. Egypt also co-founded the Non-Aligned Movement with Ghana, India, Indonesia and Yugoslavia in 1961, then the Organization of African Unity in 1963.
Yet, there was a price tag associated with this active foreign policy, primarily five wars in 25 years (1948 - 1973) and dire economic consequences thereafter. Israel was the common denominator, either with Britain in 1948, or with Britain and France in 1956, or with the United States in 1967 and thereafter. There were also attempts to balance Arab nationalism advanced by Egypt with a drive for Islamic solidarity led by Saudi Arabia. A fire in the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem led to a conference in Rabat, Morocco in 1969 that eventually precipitated the establishment of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1972. Hence, to date, reaching a just, comprehensive and permanent settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict remains at the core of Egyptian foreign policy.
The Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel in 1978, and the ensuing Peace treaty in 1979, were a strong reminder to all concerned parties of the limitations of military solutions to such protracted conflicts, and of the latent powers in diplomacy. The retrieval of Taba from Israel by a ruling from the International Court of Justice in favor of Egypt in 1988 asserted this reality, albeit briefly until the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. This War was a paradigm shift, reconstituting Arab leadership in the Arab World, with no less influence than the preceding Arab-Israeli War in 1967 which redefined Arab nationalism, or the subsequent American invasion of Iraq in 2003 which reshaped Egypt’s role in the Middle East.
In both war and peace, Egyptian diplomacy was at the forefront of such regional dynamics. Its role following the 1956 Tripartite Aggression against Egypt, or after the October 1973 war was instrumental. Its contributions were crucial in regaining our once usurped rights and territory. The 1991 Madrid Peace Conference and the ensuing Arab-Israeli Peace Process is also a case in point.
In parallel, pursuing sustainable development as a peace dividend became a major challenge in a post-Cold War era, amidst a growing recognition that Egypt has become a net importer of food and capital, given its rapid population growth and scarce water resources. Hence, it was incumbent upon Egypt’s diplomacy to adapt to new challenges in an emerging global village, such as climate change, water security, food security, cyber-security associated with the digital economy, illegal migration and other forms of organized crime, to name a few. Upholding the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations, mutual respect, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts became paramount and have been basic tenets of Egypt’s diplomacy.
Moreover, Egyptian diplomacy paved the way for Egypt to play an instrumental role in peacekeeping operations in the world, and particularly in Africa, to protect civilians and rebuild peace, in spite of the numerous associated risks. In a relatively short period of time, Egypt became the 7th largest troop and police contributing country to UN peacekeeping missions. It is also a major contributor to the African Peace and Security Architecture, including the African Standby Force (ASF) and the African Capability for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC). Today, there are around 3200 Egyptian men and women deployed in harsh areas in various places in the world. In addition, the African Union Center for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development was launched in Cairo in December 2021, as a means to help prevent relapse into conflicts in the continent and as a contribution to “Silencing the Guns” in Africa.
Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Again, this active foreign policy comes at a cost. In November 2021, ten Egyptian peacekeepers from the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) were wounded in Bangui by shots fired at them. Just a few days ago, on 7 March 2022, two Egyptian peacekeepers, members of the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), were killed in the region of Mopti following an attack on their convoy.
These sacrifices in lives in support of Egypt’s active foreign policy were not limited to military and civilian casualties in war. A number of our dear diplomats also lost their lives serving their country, some in appalling terrorist attacks, others victims of hideous crimes: Kamal Al Din Salah, Egypt’s delegate to the United Nations Advisory Council in Somalia assassinated on 16 April 1957 in Mogadishu; Namir Ahmadine Khalil, killed in the terrorist attacks on Egypt’s Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 19 November 1995; and Ihab El-Sherif, Egypt’s Ambassador to Iraq, kidnapped then murdered by Al-Qaeda insurgents on 7 July 2005.
Other diplomats are risking their lives. Their roles have evolved to adapt to changing and challenging times. Currently, our Ambassador in Kiev is busy ensuring a safe return for Egyptians fleeing war zones in Ukraine. Clearly, a diplomat is no longer just an emissary delivering a message; but also a peace-maker, mediating in remote hot-spots in faraway places or negotiating in multilateral settings; a cultural envoy, an economic counselor and a crisis manager, often all at once.
We honor such diplomats and pay tribute to all those from all over the world who were sadly killed while bravely performing their noble patriotic duties, or are risking their lives.
We also salute the distinguished Egyptians who have held eminent global diplomatic positions.
Dr. Abdel Hamid Badawi Pasha, led the Egyptian Delegation to the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco in his capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs and was a co-signor of the United Nations Charter on behalf of Egypt in 1945. In 1946, he was selected to serve as Judge at the International Court of Justice where he served until his death in 1965.
Dr. Ibrahim Abdel-Rahman, was the first Executive Head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) from 1966 to 1974; Dr. Mostafa Tolba led the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) for 17 years from 1975 to 1992; Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, was the sixth Secretary General of the United Nations from 1992 to 1996 before becoming the first Secretary-General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie from 1997 to 2002; Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei was Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1997 until 2009; and Ghada Waly is currently the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) since November 2019.
It is the presence of such towering figures in the realm of global diplomacy, coupled with an extensive network of Egyptian diplomats in Embassies, Missions and Consulates abroad, and of foreign representations in Egypt, as well as hosting and/or chairing multiple regional and international conferences that clearly reinforces the stature of Egyptian diplomacy at the national, regional and international levels against the backdrop of its historical and cultural heritage.
To date, Cairo also hosts 140 foreign embassies, becoming the 10th largest city in the world hosting foreign representations after Washington, Brussels, Beijing, Berlin, London, Paris, Tokyo, Moscow and New Delhi. Likewise, Egypt maintains diplomatic relations with 186 countries through 127 Resident Ambassadors and 59 non-resident Ambassadors, as well as 30 consulates and 2 representative offices.
In several capitals, Egypt is often the sole Arab and/or African voice by virtue of its extensive diplomatic representation. It is also the extensive Egyptian diplomatic presence in Africa that helped precipitate the recent renaissance in Egypt’s relations with her African brothers and sisters. Since the times of supporting liberation movements in the 1950s and 1960s, relations have never been as strong and active as they are now, especially in the fields of peace and security, economic integration and development assistance. In fact, Egypt has, with great pride, chaired the African Union in 2019, passing on the baton to South Africa in 2020. Although Egypt and South Africa are not neighboring countries, and are geographically located at opposite ends of the continent, they see eye to eye on many foreign policy issues and work together on many fronts to achieve the goals of the African Union Agenda 2063 and to accelerate integration in the continent, especially through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Cairo to Cape Road.
On another, but not less important note, Egypt will be honored to host, on behalf of Africa, the 27th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27 of the UNFCCC) in the coastal city of Sharm El-Sheikh from 7-17 November 2022. COP27 will be an opportunity for Africa to make its voice clearly heard. And Africa’s voice matters because the continent suffers from the most adverse impacts of climate change although it is not responsible for the current climate crisis. Egyptian diplomats are already working hard to ensure that concrete climate action, based on science and principles, is taken, for the benefit of the peoples of Africa and the entire world.
Finally, although it is difficult to cover all aspects and achievements of Egyptian modern diplomacy over the past hundred years, I thought it opportune to share my reflections in this regard as we commemorate its centenary. Yet, as we observe this occasion amidst a general atmosphere of global tension, it is useful to be reminded that diplomacy can still resolve complex and seemingly unsolvable issues, even in the darkest of times. And it has done that many times before throughout history.