Egypt: Yet Another Piece in the EU Migration Management Mosaic!

By Laura

Deja-Vu: on March 17, the EU signed another partnership with one of its southern neighbours. Recognizing the pivotal importance of Egypt’s stability and prosperity for the EU, the Prime Ministers of Italy, Belgium, Greece, and Cyprus, together with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, travelled to Cairo to sign a “joint declaration” for the establishment of a “Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership” with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. Different (maybe) frame, same story: Egypt will receive an aid package of 7.4 billion euros, including 5 billion in concessional loans, 1.8 billion in investments and bilateral projects, and 600 million in grants, out of which 200 million will be allocated directly to migration management.



Fleeing ominous conditions. Egypt is currently facing one of its worst economic crisis in decades. Despite Egypt’s efforts since 2016 to curb irregular migration from its northern coast, the Greek islands have experienced a rise in Egyptian migrants as many are seeking alternative routes such as going through Libya. Not only: the Sudanese crisis is also putting Cairo in the migration spotlight further. In the event of a total economic collapse, the country would find it increasingly challenging to prevent a massive wave of refugees heading to Europe. Currently, around 9 million refugees and migrants are living in Egypt, having fled conflicts in Syria, Yemen, or Sudan, while the conflict in Gaza threatens to exacerbate the situation further.



The constant trade-off. As with Tunisia and Mauritania, CSOs have already raised concerns about potential violations of human rights in the management of migratory flows. Once again, the EU is externalising its borders and paying others to control the flows. How these third parties will execute this responsibility, and whether the EU will prevent abuses from occurring, remains to be seen. But do Europeans really want to see it?





Calls for Ceasefire Amid Washington Frustration
By Andrea

The EU has called for a ceasefire in Gaza. This hadn’t happened once since this conflict started, but leaders came to an agreement as the US submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council last Friday. A final resolution was adopted by the UN body demanding a ceasefire during Ramadan. All countries voted in favour and the US abstained causing Israel’s irritation. So, will the Israeli attacks end? Resolutions from the UN Security Council are legally binding, however, Israel has ignored their resolutions several times in the past. The representative of the State of Palestine in the Council hopes the resolution will imply a turning point that would lead to a lasting ceasefire.



More peace talks in Doha: Finally, representatives from Qatar, Egypt, and Israel have been holding meetings to set a six-week ceasefire that would enable the release of 40 Israeli hostages. Qatari officials claimed to be ‘cautiously optimistic’ over the recent talks. Hamas’ officers lowered previous demands and declared they were open to accepting a partial Israeli withdrawal before exchanging prisoners. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has come to the Middle East again, showing the Biden administration’s increasing frustration with the state of affairs in the Middle East.





Lebanon and Morocco in the EU’s Spotlight

By Andrea

The EU has kept busy these last months to close several deals with its Mediterranean neighbours. In the past 12 months, agreements have been signed with Turkey, Mauritania and Egypt. EU officials are now working to sign a similar deal with Lebanon. The pressure for this agreement comes after Cyprus declared that its high number of arrivals was pushing it towards collapse. Human rights groups have criticised the pacts adopted to mitigate ‘migration burdens’ claiming they will increase the suffering of those migrating through arbitrary arrests and mistreatment.



Not just migration. Another deal of the same nature with Morocco is also in progress. This pact hides more substantial commitments, such as implicit support of the EU for Morocco’s claim over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Rather the opposite! A legal adviser to the EU’s top court struck a blow against Morocco this week by recommending annulling a fishing agreement that allowed European vessels to fish off the Western Sahara’s coast. Court cases like this one are a tool that the Polisario Front uses to put pressure on Morocco's foreign agenda and economic policies.





Bridging Gaps? EU-UAE Trade Talks

By Fatin

No more time to waste! Recently, the UAE and the EU met in a closed bilateral meeting to discuss the possibility of developing trade relations outside the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) comprehensive partnership. While the EU and the GCC have yet to ink a FTA - Ehi! You should already know what a Free Trade Agreement is - their trade ties remain strong and solid: the EU ranks indeed as the GCC’s third-largest trade partner after China and India in 2022. But unending negotiations lead of course to frustration, and it doesn’t come as a surprise Abu Dhabi’s push for a bilateral agreement. Recent discussions have seen both sides agreeing on a timeline for technical deliberations, showcasing a cautious approach towards advancing trade relations.



Publicly backing the GCC-EU process, the UAE has been quietly preparing its own talks, emphasising its Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA) agenda. The latter aligns with GCC objectives and serves as a driving force for fostering trade across the region. But bilateral relations have long represented a hard blow for multilateral cooperation, with European capitals that have pushed their own agenda with the Gulf.





New Shifts in Sudan’s Power Balance
By Isabela

New tactics, new outcomes.Almost one year after the outbreak of the conflict between the SudaneseArmed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Buhran, and the paramilitaryRapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known asHemedti, the wind on the ground has changed once again. After the RSFgained control not only over Khartoum, but also in the Darfur region and al-Jazirahstate following offensives in November and early December, the SAF haverecently started their counteroffensive in Khartoum. Advancing in Omdurmanand strengthening their positions in Bahri – did you know that the Sudanesecapital is called the Three Towns (Khartoum, Omdurman and Bahri)? – al-Burhanis now targeting al-Jazirah state’s capital, Wad Madani, as well as the RSFposts in the Darfur region.



It can’t get any worse.While the conflict’s warring parties and their external patrons are vying forterritorial control, Sudanese civilians are living hell on earth. Sudan iscurrently the world’s largest internal displacement crisis, with nearly 6.5million internally displaced people since April 2023.Despite efforts by leading humanitarianagencies, the plight of Sudanese civilians remainsunderstated. Nearly 18million - 37% of the population - suffer frommalnutrition. And with at least 70% of healthfacilities being out of service, disease canbe fatal, particularly among children, while humanitarian aid is increasinglyweaponised by the SAF and the RSF.



Hope never dies: Washington’s appointment of TomPerriello as Special Envoy to Sudan have re-boostedAmerican efforts to foster inclusive dialogues for ending the fighting. The UShas been quite active since the beginning of the clashes, but its initiativeshave long failed to deliver concrete outcomes. All eyes are now on the upcominghumanitarian conference on Sudan that is supposed to be held in Paris on 15April, 360 days after the war started.





Now, a bit of culture...

In this section, we uncover some of the most listened and watched musicians, writers or YouTubers of the MENA or new publications, articles or books either from or on the region. If you have any suggestions, you’re always welcome to tell us via our email!



Depicting the inconceivable. It has been 13 years since the onset of the Syrian Revolution. Since then, the regime of Bashar al-Assad has spoken nothing but the language of violence and fear. Just when Damascus is readmitted into the Arab League, Syrian Gulag: Inside Assad’s Prison System comes out like a thunderbolt. The authors, former political prisoner Jaber Baker and academic Uğur Ümit Üngör, embark on a perilous journey to document Syria’s prison system since 1970. The book provides a harrowing account of a space where torture, disease, and death intertwine; a space deemed a backbone for the survival of the Assad family. Syrian Gulag is relevant for academics, policymakers, and students who would like to learn about al-Assad’s repression machine.



On a positive note. Do you remember Ouided Bouchamaoui, the co-founder of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015? Following the Jasmine Revolution in 2011, Bouchamaoui played a significant role in building a pluralist democracy on the ruins of Ben Ali’s dictatorship. On April 1st, she is joining NYU Abu Dhabi to serve as Professor of Diplomacy. Bouchamaoui’s achievements in politics and business (yes, she is also a successful businesswoman) are particularly relevant amid Kais Saied’s power grip. They remind us that Tunisian democracy is a work in progress.