Human Rights Watch accuses Egypt of obstructing the work of environmental groups

It’s a statement that does the trick, a few weeks before COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh. Human Rights Watch accuses, on Monday, September 12, the Egyptian authorities of imposing “obstacles” to the work of Egyptian environmental groups. “These restrictions violate the freedoms of assembly and association and threaten Egypt’s ability to meet its environmental and climate action commitments as it hosts COP27 in November.”says the NGO in a press release.

If Cairo sets itself up as a champion in the fight for the climate and presents itself as the voice of Africa by calling on the developed countries to respect their financial commitments to help the continent adapt to climate change, for one of the anonymous environmentalists quoted by HRW, “it is because it is in the interest [de l’Egypte]particularly in terms of funding”.

The NGO thus calls “the States participating in COP27, to work with the Egyptian authorities to ensure the participation of the various components of civil society during the climate conference”. The Egyptian authorities have indeed ceased to muzzle any form of opposition, independent press or online activism since President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi came to power in 2013.