Steinmeier travels to Egypt

On the occasion of the upcoming visit of German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Egypt, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) sent him a letter asking him to advocate for greater press freedom in the country and, above all, for a rule of law and an independent judiciary. In his talks, Steinmeier should strengthen the position of the Coptic Christians and clearly address the pressing situation of refugees from Sudan,” stated Sarah Reinke, head of human rights work at the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP).

In the course of his visit, Steinmeier is supposed to meet with Pope Tawadros II., Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church. This is seen as an “important signal”. “The role of the current government in the fight against radical Islamists is important, especially for the Copts, but this must be done in a constitutional manner. Efforts to combat Islamism must not be used as a tool to suppress the political opposition,” says the human rights organization’s letter to the Federal President.

In its letter, the Society for Threatened Peoples emphasized the desperate situation of around 750,000 refugees from the war zones in Sudan who have currently found shelter in Egypt or in refugee camps near the border. “Racism and violence against refugees is on the rise, as is corruption,” Reinke warned. 

The German Federal President should address the corruption and violence of the Egyptian authorities – and demand international refugee protection regulations to be respected. “As a member state of the EU, Germany bears partial responsibility. The EU has stepped up its cooperation with Egypt with regard to migration issues,” the letter states. In October, the EU and Egypt had signed a cooperation agreement worth 80 million euros, which also addresses possible measures to protect Egypt’s borders. “It is unacceptable that border guards funded by EU money use violence against refugees from Sudan,” Reinke emphasized.