The United States (US) has decided to delay $US 195 million in military aid and about $US 95.7 million in other aid, citing a failure to achieve relevant progress in its human rights record and democratic norms, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signed papers related to the funding and informed Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry of the decision in a phone call, according to government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to the Washington Post. A State of Department official said that the decision was a message that the US is not happy with the lack of progress in human rights in Egypt and a recent law on non-governmental organizations (NGOs), stating “we want to see improvements”. In response, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing its regret over the US decision. The statement said that the decision reflects misjudgment about the strategic relations between the two countries. The Ministry added that the decision reflects an incomplete vision towards the economic and security hardships Egypt is dealing with. The statement concluded by saying that this decision could negatively affect the…
U.S. Withholds $290 Million in Aid to Egypt Citing Human Rights Concerns
August 23, 2017
