Sisi is a 'good man', says Trump
On the sidelines of the G-7 meeting, Trump praised Sisi as being a 'good man' despite having an abysmal track record on human rights.
2 min read
Trump praised Sisi as 'a good man' [Getty]
US President Donald Trump praised Egypt's President Abdulfattah al-Sisi, saying he's a "good man" and is doing a "fantastic job".
On the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, the US President applauded Sisi and his leadership, despite having an abysmal human rights record.
"We understood each other very well. He’s a very tough man, I will tell you that," Trump said.
"But he's also a good man, and he’s done a fantastic job in Egypt. Not easy."
Trump went on to claim Egypt has progressed since Sisi took power in a blooded coup against Egypt's first democratically elected president Mohammed Morsi in July 2013.
"Egypt has made tremendous progress under a great leader's leadership. It's what it's all about. And your staff also, who I've gotten to know - fantastic people. So I want to thank you and I want to congratulate you."
Trump's comments come as Cairo for the first time in its modern history installed heads of the Supreme Constitutional Court, the Court of Cassation and the Administrative Prosecution Authority.
This means Sisi would be in control of the state's oversight apparatus, in the latest attack on a fair judicary in the North African country.
Human Rights Watch has condemned France for allowing Egypt to attend G-7, given Sisi's human rights record in the country.
"It was a striking choice for France to invite Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to attend the 24-26 August G7 summit in Biarritz, for which the chosen theme is 'the fight against inequality,'" the group said in a statement.
"The number of Egyptians under the poverty line has clearly risen according to official Egyptian 2018 statistics, while the World Bank estimates that ‘some 60 percent of Egypt's population is either poor or vulnerable’ in 2019".
On the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, the US President applauded Sisi and his leadership, despite having an abysmal human rights record.
"We understood each other very well. He’s a very tough man, I will tell you that," Trump said.
"But he's also a good man, and he’s done a fantastic job in Egypt. Not easy."
Trump went on to claim Egypt has progressed since Sisi took power in a blooded coup against Egypt's first democratically elected president Mohammed Morsi in July 2013.
"Egypt has made tremendous progress under a great leader's leadership. It's what it's all about. And your staff also, who I've gotten to know - fantastic people. So I want to thank you and I want to congratulate you."
Trump's comments come as Cairo for the first time in its modern history installed heads of the Supreme Constitutional Court, the Court of Cassation and the Administrative Prosecution Authority.
This means Sisi would be in control of the state's oversight apparatus, in the latest attack on a fair judicary in the North African country.
Human Rights Watch has condemned France for allowing Egypt to attend G-7, given Sisi's human rights record in the country.
"It was a striking choice for France to invite Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to attend the 24-26 August G7 summit in Biarritz, for which the chosen theme is 'the fight against inequality,'" the group said in a statement.
"The number of Egyptians under the poverty line has clearly risen according to official Egyptian 2018 statistics, while the World Bank estimates that ‘some 60 percent of Egypt's population is either poor or vulnerable’ in 2019".
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