Recent political developments in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia and how these developments would influence the political landscape in North Africa: Departmental briefing

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International Relations

22 February 2011
Chairperson: Mr T Magama (ANC)
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Meeting Summary

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation briefed the Committee on the situation in North Africa. There was particular focus on the issues affecting Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.

The Department identified areas of concern which played a role in initiating anti-government protests. Amongst the reasons for the discontent in North Africa were the extended terms of office which leaders in that region held. Most of the governments in that region ruled through emergency laws, enjoyed strong military support, enjoyed support from the United States of America and the West in the fight against terrorism, and applied or sought to apply hereditary succession. Most of the countries in that region had poor human rights records, restricted political participation, opposition to religious political participation (Islamist parties) and they exercised media censorship. There was high male youth unemployment, no trickle down of oil revenue, a high level of unemployed graduates and high food prices in the region. All these factors contributed to the discontent in the region.

The Department offered its assessment of what had caused the situation in Egypt. There had been a lack of political legitimacy on the part of the leadership, circumscribed political space, a demand for socio-economic and political reforms and an underlying history of discontent amongst citizens, suppression of protests against unemployment, high food prices, and corruption. There had been emergence of information and communications technology as a tool for debate on government policies, and social media as a tool for organisation of protests and mobilisation of educated youth and middle class.

The Department highlighted the situation in Libya. There were anti-government protests which had engulfed Tripoli, the capital, and the security situation has deteriorated rapidly. The building where the country's parliament met and other government buildings, including police stations had been torched and looted. Anti-government protests in eastern Libyan cities of Benghazi and Al-Badya had continued. Eastern Libya and Benghazi in particular had not supported Gaddafi since the 1996 shooting of 1 200 detainees and unrest has spread to the capital despite heavy presence of security forces, including the military.

The Department gave a brief overview of the situation prevailing in Tunisia. The Tunisian citizens undertook civil protests against the regime of former President Ben Ali due to lack of job opportunities, lack of political freedoms, corruption, rising food prices and poverty in rural areas. As the situation became out of control, President Ben Ali was forced to vacate office and sought refuge in Saudi Arabia. The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Fouad Mebazaa was sworn-in as interim President in accordance with Article 57 of the constitution and instructed the Prime Minister Mr Mohamed Ghannouchi to form a government of national unity which was later announced on 17 January 2011 with several opposition members assigned ministerial posts. It was followed by a cabinet reshuffle on 27 January 2010 with new ministers occupying the foreign, defence and interior ministries.

Members asked about possible evacuation plans for South African citizens in troubled North African countries. They commented on the hypocrisy of the United States’ stance on North Africa. They asked whether it was wise to place so much faith in the Egyptian army to deliver democratic elections. They sought information on two South Africans who were trapped in a Tripoli airport. They asked whether South Africa had a definitive position on the events in North Africa with particular emphasis on Libya. They commented on the need for caution in considering overthrown dictators seeking asylum in the country. Members commented that the issue of corruption and civil dissatisfaction with government was one which had to be monitored and addressed aptly. The will of the people in whatever nation should be respected as governments existed to serve their citizens.

Meeting report

Departmental Briefing on situation in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia
Ambassador Mxolisi Nkosi, Deputy Director-General: Africa Bilateral, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), presented to the Committee. The Department identified areas of concern which played a role in initiating anti-government protests. Amongst the reasons for the discontent in North Africa were the extended leadership terms which leaders in that region had. Most of the governments in that region ruled through emergency laws, enjoyed strong military support, enjoyed support from the United States of America (US) and the West in fight against terrorism, and applied or sought to apply hereditary succession.

Most of the countries in that region had poor human rights records, restricted political participation, opposition to religious political participation (Islamist parties) and they exercised media censorship. There was high male youth unemployment, no trickle down of oil revenue, a high level of unemployed graduates and high food prices in the region. All these factors contributed to the discontent in the region.

The Department offered its assessment of what had caused the situation in Egypt. There had been a lack of political legitimacy on the part of the leadership, circumscribed political space, a demand for socio-economic and political reforms, and an underlying history of discontent amongst citizens, suppression of protests against unemployment, high food prices and corruption. There had been emergence of information and communications technology (ICT) as a tool for debate on government policies, social media as a tool for organisation of protests and mobilisation of educated youth and middle class.

The Department summarised the implications for South Africa’s relations with Egypt. South Africa viewed Egypt as a strategic partner on the continent, not only at a bilateral level but also at multilateral level. Egypt’s large potential market in terms of minerals and agriculture as well as tourism remained largely untapped by South African business, while its support for African representation and infrastructure development echoed the sentiments of the South African Government. The South African Government had welcomed the resignation of President Mubarak and the acceptance of the will of the Egyptian people. South Africa also had indicated its willingness to provide assistance to the transitional government as it prepared for elections in Egypt. Bilateral relations had been impacted with the resignation and charging of the former Minister of Trade and Industry who was due to visit South Africa with a large business delegation in March. The ninth session of the Joint Bilateral Commission (JBC) which was due to be held in Cairo was unlikely to happen before elections.

The Department highlighted the situation in Libya. There were anti-government protests which had engulfed the capital of Libya, Tripoli and the security situation had deteriorated rapidly. The building where the country's parliament met and other government buildings, including police stations had been torched and looted. Anti-government protests in eastern Libyan cities of Benghazi and Al-Badya had continued. Eastern Libya and Benghazi in particular had not supported Gaddafi since the 1996 shooting of 1 200 detainees and unrest has spread to the capital despite heavy presence of security forces, including the military.

The Department highlighted the implications for South Africa in light of the situation in Libya. South Africa viewed Libya as a key player within the continent. South Africa was currently attempting to revive the bilateral commission with Libya. Libya’s need for infrastructure development and untapped market presented opportunities for South African companies. There were around 200 South Africans registered with the Mission in Tripoli. Those South Africans linked to oil companies were in the process of being evacuated by their companies. The Mission had been approached for assistance by South Africans. South Africa was fully committed to the African agenda, strengthening of the African Union and the promotion of democracy, peace and stability in Africa.

The Department gave a brief overview of the situation prevailing in Tunisia. The Tunisian citizens undertook civil protests against the regime of former President Ben Ali due to lack of job opportunities, lack of political freedoms, corruption, rising food prices and poverty in rural areas. As the situation became out of control, President Ben Ali was forced to vacate office and sought refuge in Saudi Arabia. The Speaker of the Parliament, Mr Fouad Mebazaa, was sworn-in as interim President in accordance with Article 57 of the constitution and instructed the Prime Minister, Mr Mohamed Ghannouchi, to form a government of national unity which was later announced on 17 January 2011 with several opposition members assigned ministerial posts. It was followed by a cabinet reshuffle on 27 January 2010 with new Ministers occupying the foreign, defence and interior ministries.

The interim government continued to struggle to assert itself in the face of continued street protests. The protesters demanded that all members from the former ruling party, including the Prime Minister and the Interim President, should be excluded from the interim government. Tunisia's Interim President, Mr Fouad Mebazaa, announced on 9 February 2011 that talks with unions would be held soon, after he was given wide powers to restore order and rule by decree until elections were held. The interim government also lifted a ban on opposition parties. Tunisia's image as one of the most reliable bulwarks of stability had been damaged, and the road ahead remained uncertain.

The Department highlighted the implications for the Republic in light of the situation in Tunisia. The South African Government could play a significant role in sharing its experiences with the Tunisian interim government and in providing strategic guidelines towards successful transforming into a democracy that was acceptable to the people and the rest of the world. While recognising the recently announced interim leadership, South Africa would also continue to monitor developments in the country, since the current change of government was in accordance with Article 57 of the Tunisian Constitution which stated that if the Presidency of the Republic became vacant, the Speaker of the National Parliament should take over the responsibilities of the Republic, while the Prime Minister would continue to co-ordinate the work of government.

Discussion
The Chairperson said that he had received reports of two South African citizens who were trapped in Libya whilst en route back to the country; they were stranded at the airport in Tripoli. He asked Mr Nkosi to look into the issue and report back to him later in the day. He commented that the silence of the African Union on some of the issues affecting North Africa was concerning. He asked how confident the Department was that the Egyptian army, which had taken power since Mubarak’s resignation, would cede power and accept a ballot result when elections took place. He commented that the United States’ funding of the Mubarak regime (US $ 2.1 billion) and then criticism of it when things turned bad was hypocritical. He asked what the impact of the Muslim Brotherhood taking power in Egypt would be should it win an election.   

Ambassador Nkosi responded that the Department was aware of the situation involving the two South Africans trapped in Libya. He had spoken to the South African Ambassador to Libya and had been assured that the two South Africans were safe and in an airport hotel in Tripoli and that the South African mission in Tripoli was in contact with them. The two had been travelling to Johannesburg on a Libyan airline and since airlines had been grounded in Libya, they had been trapped and their passports had been confiscated. The embassy in Libya would issue them with emergency travel documents and the Ambassador would keep the Chairperson informed of the situation. The African Union (AU) had not played a visible role as yet in the situation in North Africa and the Ambassador acknowledged that point and would raise the issue with the Union through its permanent representative in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the AU headquarters. He could not predict the outcome of the transitional situation in Egypt but he hoped that the situation would lead to the dawn of a new political era of democratisation. He responded that it remained the responsibility of the political organisations in Egypt and Tunisia that the democratisation of those countries be democratic and in keeping with the will of their people. The chances of the Muslim Brotherhood taking power in Egypt was slim as the protests in that country had occurred as a result of the coming together of secular groups as well as Islamist groups. The Department thought that a secular government would emerge from the revolution and it would hopefully reflect the will of its people. He could not respond to the question on United States hypocrisy as it was a political question on which he had no grounds to speak.

Mr M Booi (ANC) thanked the Department for its presentation and said that it was very informative. He asked whether South Africa was not acting retrospectively on the events in North Africa and was playing catch-up. The United States appeared to be protecting its own interests in responding to events in the North African region. Did South Africa have a definitive position on events in North Africa? He commented that Al-Qaeda could not be ruled out as being a threat in the newly realigned political climate in North Africa.

Ambassador Nkosi replied that South Africa was not tagging behind events although predicting international events was difficult to do. South Africa’s policy on the events in North Africa was clear. The country wanted peaceful transitions with respect to the will of the people; a statement had been made on the Libyan situation which called for the will of the people to be respected. He could not respond to the question on United States protecting its own interests as it was a political question on which he had no grounds to speak. Mr Booi was correct in his comment on the possible involvement of Al-Qaeda in North Africa.             

Ms C September (ANC) commented that the African Union should engage with the European Union (EU) on some of the issues occurring in North Africa. She commented that South Africa should be cautious with providing shelter to overthrown dictators. She commented that the Committee disapproved of the killing of innocent civilians in Libya. A peaceful solution needed to be found in Libya and the will of the people should not be suppressed by dictators.  

Ambassador Nkosi responded that South Africa would be cautious in responding to the issue of granting asylum to overthrown dictators. As yet there had been no applications from or intimations of overthrown leaders seeking asylum in the country. The Department agreed with Ms September’s views on the killing of innocent civilians, that was deplorable, and the Department supported the need for the will of the people to be respected and listened to.

Ms W Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC) asked where South Africa had High Commissions in the countries highlighted in the presentation. She asked how big a role social networking websites played in the revolutions in North Africa and whether they could be censored or shut down by the governments in that region. Were there other industries in the affected North African states which were profitable outside of the oil industry?

Ambassador Nkosi responded that South Africa had embassies in all the North African countries. Social networking websites had indeed played a role in the various revolutions in the North of Africa; they had assisted in mobilising the various populaces. In Libya the state had tried to block the accessibility to social networking websites but this had been circumvented by the people through Al Jazeera news network broadcasting alternatives to bypass the blocks by the state. Egypt had a diversified economy with quality textiles being one of their strong industries. Tunisia had a small and highly educated population and it had done well to develop its information technology sector. Both those countries had strong potential to create jobs for their people.

Mr S Ngonyama (COPE) asked what the response by South Africa to the Libyan issue was. He commented that South Africa had a clear record on human rights thus it was curious to him why the response to the Libyan issue had been ambivalent and relatively silent in calling for the democratisation of North African countries. South Africa had a responsibility to be strong on its foreign policy. What lessons was South Africa learning from the protests in North Africa? Socio-economic problems had been at the heart of the protests in North Africa and South Africa needed to learn from the lessons in North Africa. What kind of assistance would South Africa give to North Africa in light of its transition?

Ambassador Nkosi responded that South Africa’s policy on the events in North Africa was clear. The country wanted peaceful transitions with respect to the will of the people; a statement had been made on the Libyan situation which called for the will of the people to be respected. He said that the question on the lessons learned from a South African perspective was political and he could not respond to that. The nature of the country’s assistance to North Africa was not yet determined but would be dealt with upon request from the affected North African countries. The assistance would be undertaken in line with the African Renaissance and International Co-operation Fund Act (Act No. 51 of 2000).

The Chairperson asked what plans South Africa had to evacuate embassy staff as well as South Africans who were stranded in North African countries experiencing strife.

Ambassador Nkosi responded that the Department of Defence was in charge of handling logistics for evacuation but plans were in place for evacuation of citizens and embassy staff. The Department had a Mission Security Team (MST) which assessed the need for evacuation based on the situation on the ground. One such team had been sent to Libya.

Mr E Sulliman (ANC) asked whether it would be possible to evacuate South African citizens in light of Colonel Gaddafi’s resolve to fight protesters.

Ambassador Nkosi responded that Gaddafi’s situation was a matter of speculation. South Africa would be able to evacuate all its citizens from trouble spots; this would be handled by the Department of Defence which had naval and air capabilities.

Mr Booi was worried for all the elections set to take place across the continent. Was South Africa ready to give guidance to countries holding elections?

Ambassador Nkosi responded that there were 17 elections set to take place in Africa in 2011 with two already completed. South Africa monitored the elections closely but could not predict post electoral situations.

Mr Ngonyama commented that corrupt officials were a problem in those countries that had experienced revolutions. He hoped that the Ambassador would raise the issue with the Minister/Deputy Minister as an area for concern in South Africa.

The Chairperson said that the issue of corruption and civil dissatisfaction with government was one which had to be monitored and addressed aptly. The will of the people in whatever nation should be respected as governments existed to serve their citizens.

The meeting was adjourned.


 

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