By hosting the COP27 on climate change, from November 6 to 18, the Egyptian regime is embarking on an ambitious exercise in public relations. To meet his challenge, however, he must succeed in diverting attention from the massive repression he has exercised on his population for years.
Posted yesterday at 6:00 p.m.
By hosting international events of such magnitude, authoritarian regimes seek to perfect their reputation. They attempt to portray themselves as respectable international partners and endeavor to project an image of stability and consensus. However, holding such events carries risks for them. The many foreign journalists present are likely to lift the veil on internal tensions by focusing their attention not on the event, but on the political restrictions and human rights violations that are rampant in the country.
Opposition forces understand this issue well and often try to exploit it.
For critics of the regime, the increased international attention during these few days is a good opportunity to make their case heard.
They have an interest in disrupting the event, short-circuiting the harmonious image that the regime is trying to convey, and drawing attention to its contradictions. As the authorities do not control the international media, these efforts can be effective and succeed in tarnishing the image of the regime.
Authoritarian regimes employ several strategies to prevent such abuses. For example, they intensify repression in anticipation of international events. In particular, the authorities imprison disruptive elements upstream, even before they have been able to mobilize. This “pre-emptive” repression allows the regime not only to stifle dissent, but also to minimize the risk that foreign journalists will witness repressive acts.
Increased repression
Researchers recently looked into the methods used by the military junta in Argentina to try to control its image during the 1978 Soccer World Cup1. Based on detailed data regarding the location and timing of murders and disappearances committed by the Argentine regime, this research reveals an increase in repression in the weeks leading up to competitions in host cities awaiting journalists. The repression almost entirely ceased during the sporting event, while foreign journalists were on site, to resume after their departure. The authors conclude that the regime sought to conceal its repression and remove it from the gaze of foreign media.
These methods remain widely used today, especially at international conferences such as COP27 in Egypt.
In preparation for the conference, Egyptian authorities embarked on a wave of arrests2 which has been strongly denounced by human rights organizations.
The geographic location of the conference also gives the authorities an advantage: the city of Sharm el-Sheikh is particularly difficult to access. It is located hundreds of kilometers from urban centers, far from the hustle and bustle of the capital. Authorities have created a protest zone on the sidelines of the conference that requires protesters to register with authorities. Foreign delegations landing at Sharm el-Sheikh airport are therefore unlikely to encounter protesters.
Egypt’s human rights record is far from enviable3. According to the non-governmental organization Amnesty International, the most populous Arab country ranked third in the world for the number of prisoners executed in 2021. It is preceded by Iran, in second place, and China, which sits at the top. . It is ahead of Saudi Arabia, in fourth place, and Syria, in fifth place.
The 2013 coup, which enjoyed the support of a large part of the population, and which led to the accession to the presidency of Marshal al-Sissi, was followed by a major campaign of repression which few precedents in the contemporary history of the country. The regime currently has tens of thousands of political prisoners, and human rights organizations frequently denounce the widespread use of torture in Egyptian prisons. Initially directed against Islamists, this crackdown has expanded to target any political opposition, regardless of ideology. These abuses mostly take place in the shadows, far from the COP27 site, but they are nonetheless very real.