Egypt Security Sector Report
Last week, the Egyptian regime cracked down on two Gaza solidarity convoys, while unleashing a coordinated media smear campaign portraying the efforts as foreign provocations. The repression coincided with a wave of controversial developments: a presidential decree approving the mortgaging of vast Red Sea lands to service debt, new Pentagon-funded military projects, and the hiring of Boston Consulting Group to oversee military privatization despite its ties to both the Israeli army and Gaza’s deadly aid corridors. Also in this issue: rising migrant deaths, deepening Sudanese displacement, and growing tensions among Egypt’s regional clients.
📁 Crackdown on Gaza Solidarity Convoys
Egypt’s regime moved last week to block two pro-Palestinian solidarity convoys—the Tunisian-led “Qafilat al-Sumoud” (Convoy of Steadfastness) and a Global March to Gaza—from reaching the Rafah crossing to break Gaza’s siege.
Egyptian authorities refused to allow the North African Sumoud convoy to enter from Libya, citing national legal and security regulations.
An Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement on 11 June insisted that no convoy or foreign delegation can cross Egyptian territory toward Rafah without prior official coordination and compliance with border security procedures.
Organizers noted that they had submitted transit requests weeks in advance but received no response, affirming that they respected Egyptian regulations and “national security concerns.” The convoy remained stranded at the Libyan-Egyptian border after Cairo’s refusal.
Meanwhile, Egyptian security forces carried out mass deportations of “Global March to Gaza” participants arriving in Cairo. Hundreds of foreign activists—including Arabs, Turks, and Europeans—were detained at Cairo International Airport and denied entry. Police repeatedly raided downtown Cairo hotels to round up foreign activists.
Authorities targeted travelers wearing Palestinian scarves or carrying flags. Several Turkish nationals were also deported after being spotted displaying Palestinian flags outside their Cairo hotel.
Those who managed to enter Cairo were eventually stopped by the security forces in the Sharqiya province. Others were stopped at Ismailia and denied permission to cross the Suez Canal. Another round of arrests ensued, as the police violently dispersed the activists, with the help of plainclothes thugs, and forced them to return to Cairo.
Throughout this period, Egyptian state-aligned media and officials waged a smear campaign against the convoys. Regime publicists portrayed the initiatives as foreign “plots” or PR stunts aimed at embarrassing Egypt and undermining its security. For example, TV host Ahmed Moussa warned that the Sumoud convoy was a “trap” designed to put Egypt in a “highly awkward position” if it either allowed or blocked it. Some narratives even suggested the activists were provocateurs serving an external agenda.